Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Telecoms Services, Materials and Metals & Mining sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.49%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS), which rose 9.52% or 0.090 points to trade at 1.035 at the close. Meanwhile, Austal Ltd (ASX:ASB) added 7.41% or 0.16 points to end at 2.32 and Reece Ltd (ASX:REH) was up 4.53% or 0.77 points to 17.75 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX:TPG), which fell 6.70% or 0.460 points to trade at 6.410 at the close. Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV) declined 5.32% or 0.160 points to end at 2.850 and Auckland International Airport Ltd (ASX:AIA) was down 3.17% or 0.22 points to 6.72.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 773 to 535 and 353 ended unchanged.
Shares in TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX:TPG) fell to 52-week lows; losing 6.70% or 0.460 to 6.410. Shares in Reece Ltd (ASX:REH) rose to 3-years highs; rising 4.53% or 0.77 to 17.75.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 9.78% to 12.521.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.05% or 0.80 to $1725.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 1.88% or 1.10 to hit $59.66 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 1.52% or 0.94 to trade at $62.89 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.57% to 0.7622, while AUD/JPY rose 0.65% to 83.28.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.06% at 92.773.