Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the IT, Consumer Staples and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.12% to hit a new 5-year high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were APN Outdoor Group Ltd (AX:APO), which rose 12.31% or 0.720 points to trade at 6.570 at the close. Meanwhile, Appen Ltd (AX:APX) added 6.65% or 0.865 points to end at 13.865 and Bellamys Australia Ltd (AX:BAL) was up 6.21% or 1.050 points to 17.960 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ramsay Health Care Ltd (AX:RHC), which fell 8.01% or 4.980 points to trade at 57.190 at the close. TPG Telecom Ltd (AX:TPM) declined 2.76% or 0.150 points to end at 5.290 and Vocus Group Ltd (AX:VOC) was down 2.34% or 0.060 points to 2.500.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 739 to 521 and 409 ended unchanged.
Shares in APN Outdoor Group Ltd (AX:APO) rose to 52-week highs; rising 12.31% or 0.720 to 6.570. Shares in Appen Ltd (AX:APX) rose to all time highs; up 6.65% or 0.865 to 13.865.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.87% to 11.833.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.66% or 8.40 to $1266.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 0.32% or 0.21 to hit $65.50 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.54% or 0.40 to trade at $74.34 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.15% to 0.7357, while AUD/JPY rose 0.14% to 81.42.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.22% at 94.99.