Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Energy, Telecoms Services and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.05%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC), which rose 6.44% or 0.270 points to trade at 4.460 at the close. Meanwhile, Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (AX:TWE) added 3.33% or 0.540 points to end at 16.780 and Ardent Leisure Ltd (AX:ALG) was up 3.23% or 0.040 points to 1.280 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Galaxy Resources Ltd (AX:GXY), which fell 11.62% or 0.215 points to trade at 1.635 at the close. Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) declined 6.13% or 0.220 points to end at 3.370 and Australian Pharma Industries Ltd (AX:API) was down 4.93% or 0.075 points to 1.445.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 577 to 554 and 390 ended unchanged.
Shares in Galaxy Resources Ltd (AX:GXY) fell to 52-week lows; losing 11.62% or 0.215 to 1.635.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.87% to 10.914.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.28% or 3.55 to $1273.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.06% or 0.04 to hit $63.72 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.11% or 0.08 to trade at $71.54 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.10% to 0.7185, while AUD/JPY fell 0.01% to 80.42.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 96.650.
