Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Energy, Gold and Resources sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.38% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC), which rose 8.01% or 0.135 points to trade at 1.820 at the close. Meanwhile, St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM) added 7.64% or 0.230 points to end at 3.240 and Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR) was up 5.54% or 0.095 points to 1.810 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Rea Group Ltd (AX:REA), which fell 3.92% or 2.560 points to trade at 62.710 at the close. Myer Holdings Ltd (AX:MYR) declined 3.00% or 0.040 points to end at 1.295 and Fairfax Media Ltd (AX:FXJ) was down 2.38% or 0.025 points to 1.025.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 681 to 472 and 326 ended unchanged.
Shares in Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) rose to 52-week highs; up 8.01% or 0.135 to 1.820. Shares in Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR) rose to all time highs; gaining 5.54% or 0.095 to 1.810.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.70% to 14.297.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.23% or 3.15 to $1354.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.58% or 0.24 to hit $41.84 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.62% or 0.27 to trade at $43.80 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.04% to 0.7609, while AUD/JPY rose 0.49% to 77.94.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.06% at 95.59.