Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the IT, Utilities and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.54%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Corporate Travel Managment Ltd (AX:CTD), which rose 4.68% or 0.950 points to trade at 21.250 at the close. Meanwhile, CSR Ltd (AX:CSR) added 4.27% or 0.190 points to end at 4.640 and NIB Holdings (AX:NHF) was up 3.57% or 0.240 points to 6.960 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Tassal Group Ltd (AX:TGR), which fell 6.49% or 0.250 points to trade at 3.600 at the close. Vocus Group Ltd (AX:VOC) declined 4.39% or 0.130 points to end at 2.830 and BT Investment Management Ltd (AX:BTT) was down 4.04% or 0.450 points to 10.690.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 653 to 574 and 346 ended unchanged.
Shares in Tassal Group Ltd (AX:TGR) fell to 52-week lows; losing 6.49% or 0.250 to 3.600. Shares in NIB Holdings (AX:NHF) rose to all time highs; up 3.57% or 0.240 to 6.960.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 10.96% to 11.230.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.10% or 1.30 to $1264.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 0.21% or 0.12 to hit $56.08 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.29% or 0.18 to trade at $61.40 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.20% to 0.7548, while AUD/JPY fell 0.05% to 84.90.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.05% at 93.58.