Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Energy, Resources and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.23%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC), which rose 8.79% or 0.370 points to trade at 4.580 at the close. Meanwhile, Nufarm Ltd (AX:NUF) added 5.45% or 0.450 points to end at 8.710 and Beach Energy Ltd (AX:BPT) was up 4.56% or 0.055 points to 1.260 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Retail Food Group Ltd (AX:RFG), which fell 7.59% or 0.085 points to trade at 1.035 at the close. Invocare Ltd (AX:IVC) declined 2.49% or 0.350 points to end at 13.680 and Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (AX:SIG) was down 2.22% or 0.020 points to 0.880.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 627 to 597 and 392 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 3.15% to 12.245.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.11% or 1.40 to $1313.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.16% or 0.10 to hit $63.64 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 0.16% or 0.11 to trade at $67.53 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.17% to 0.7697, while AUD/JPY rose 0.12% to 81.96.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.17% at 89.86.