Investing.com – Australia equities were higher at the close on Friday, as gains in the Consumer Staples, IT and Telecoms Services sectors propelled shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.70%.
The biggest gainers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Western Areas Ltd (AX:WSA), which rose 5.07% or 0.110 points to trade at 2.280 at the close. Bellamys Australia Ltd (AX:BAL) added 4.48% or 0.450 points to end at 10.490 and CYBG PLC (AX:CYB) was up 4.00% or 0.160 points to 4.160 in late trade.
Biggest losers included Programmed Maintenance Services Ltd (AX:PRG), which lost 4.85% or 0.075 points to trade at 1.470 in late trade. Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AX:FMG) declined 4.39% or 0.140 points to end at 3.050 and Worleyparsons Ltd (AX:WOR) shed 3.93% or 0.260 points to 6.350.
Advancing stocks outnumbered falling ones by 604 to 385 and 321 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 6.47% to 15.602.
In commodities trading, Gold for June delivery was up 0.51% or 6.20 to $1232.70 a troy ounce. Meanwhile, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.24% or 0.10 to hit $41.60 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.11% or 0.05 to trade at $43.90 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.23% to 0.7711, while AUD/JPY rose 0.42% to 84.51.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.03% at 94.97.