Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Telecoms Services, Consumer Staples and A-REITs sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.54% to hit a new 52-week high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Bega Cheese Ltd (AX:BGA), which rose 5.96% or 0.240 points to trade at 4.270 at the close. Meanwhile, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd (AX:FPH) added 4.04% or 0.320 points to end at 8.240 and TPG Telecom Ltd (AX:TPM) was up 3.69% or 0.240 points to 6.740 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Estia Health Ltd (AX:EHE), which fell 5.32% or 0.140 points to trade at 2.490 at the close. Asaleo Care (AX:AHY) declined 4.73% or 0.070 points to end at 1.410 and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC) was down 2.93% or 0.080 points to 2.650.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Australia Stock Exchange by 566 to 426 and 315 ended unchanged.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 3.01% to 10.217 a new 52-week low.
Gold for February delivery was down 0.20% or 2.25 to $1130.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.11% or 0.06 to hit $52.55 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.18% or 0.10 to trade at $54.56 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.07% to 0.7228, while AUD/JPY rose 0.09% to 85.05.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.03% at 103.01.