Investing.com – Australia equities were higher at the close on Friday, as gains in the Utilities, Consumer Discretionary and Metals & Mining sectors propelled shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.41% to hit a new 1-month high.
The biggest gainers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Tatts Group Ltd (AX:TTS), which rose 6.87% or 0.270 points to trade at 4.200 at the close. Greencross Ltd (AX:GXL) added 4.78% or 0.320 points to end at 7.020 and APN News & Media Ltd (AX:APN) was up 3.98% or 0.100 points to 2.610 in late trade.
Biggest losers included Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR), which lost 4.21% or 0.043 points to trade at 0.968 in late trade. Technology One Ltd (AX:TNE) declined 2.76% or 0.160 points to end at 5.640 and Resolute Mining Ltd (AX:RSG) shed 2.44% or 0.030 points to 1.200.
Advancing stocks outnumbered falling ones by 603 to 460 and 323 ended unchanged on the Sydney Stock Exchange.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.78% to 11.911 a new 1-month low.
In commodities trading, Gold for December delivery was down 1.01% or 12.05 to $1177.25 a troy ounce. Meanwhile, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.77% or 0.37 to hit $47.59 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract fell 0.92% or 0.45 to trade at $48.55 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.35% to 0.7433, while AUD/JPY rose 0.37% to 84.25.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.12% at 101.65.