Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Utilities, Financials and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.42%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M), which rose 6.50% or 0.240 points to trade at 3.930 at the close. Meanwhile, Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (AX:SXL) added 5.98% or 0.070 points to end at 1.240 and Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) was up 4.14% or 0.145 points to 3.645 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Flexigroup Ltd (AX:FXL), which fell 6.76% or 0.115 points to trade at 1.585 at the close. Mcmillan Shakespeare Ltd (AX:MMS) declined 6.16% or 0.860 points to end at 13.110 and Woolworths Ltd (AX:WOW) was down 3.66% or 0.960 points to 25.290.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 628 to 577 and 385 ended unchanged.
Shares in A2 Milk Company Ltd (AX:A2M) rose to all time highs; up 6.50% or 0.240 to 3.930. Shares in Flexigroup Ltd (AX:FXL) fell to 5-year lows; falling 6.76% or 0.115 to 1.585.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.90% to 12.122.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.25% or 3.15 to $1253.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 0.29% or 0.13 to hit $44.84 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.27% or 0.13 to trade at $47.24 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.10% to 0.7613, while AUD/JPY rose 0.04% to 84.52.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.05% at 96.91.