Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Metals & Mining, Materials and Resources sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.38%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Alumina Ltd (AX:AWC), which rose 9.21% or 0.170 points to trade at 2.015 at the close. Meanwhile, Western Areas Ltd (AX:WSA) added 5.79% or 0.140 points to end at 2.560 and Mineral Resources Ltd (AX:MIN) was up 5.49% or 0.680 points to 13.070 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR), which fell 5.36% or 0.063 points to trade at 1.103 at the close. Henderson Group PLC (AX:HGG) declined 3.39% or 0.130 points to end at 3.700 and TPG Telecom Ltd (AX:TPM) was down 3.03% or 0.210 points to 6.720.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 574 to 521 and 332 ended unchanged.
Shares in Alumina Ltd (AX:AWC) rose to 52-week highs; up 9.21% or 0.170 to 2.015.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 4.73% to 12.918.
Gold for February delivery was down 0.56% or 6.80 to $1204.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 0.34% or 0.18 to hit $53.00 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 0.25% or 0.14 to trade at $55.30 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.58% to 0.7538, while AUD/JPY fell 0.74% to 85.64.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.02% at 100.25.