Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Industrials, Financials and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.21% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were NIB Holdings (ASX:NHF), which rose 4.46% or 0.320 points to trade at 7.490 at the close. Meanwhile, Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) added 2.24% or 0.14 points to end at 6.40 and Ausdrill Ltd (ASX:ASL) was up 2.22% or 0.050 points to 2.300 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX:PME), which fell 5.66% or 1.680 points to trade at 28.000 at the close. Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) declined 4.00% or 0.910 points to end at 21.840 and G8 Education Ltd (ASX:GEM) was down 3.91% or 0.100 points to 2.460.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 595 to 594 and 366 ended unchanged.
Shares in Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) rose to 52-week highs; rising 2.24% or 0.14 to 6.40. Shares in Ausdrill Ltd (ASX:ASL) rose to 52-week highs; up 2.22% or 0.050 to 2.300.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 4.52% to 12.357 a new 1-month low.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.25% or 3.75 to $1511.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 0.22% or 0.12 to hit $54.97 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract fell 0.30% or 0.18 to trade at $60.20 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.07% to 0.6871, while AUD/JPY rose 0.00% to 74.22.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.11% at 98.197.
