Australia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare, Energy and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.45%.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Pact Group Holdings Ltd (AX:PGH), which rose 6.25% or 0.160 points to trade at 2.720 at the close. Meanwhile, Syrah Resources Ltd (AX:SYR) added 6.09% or 0.060 points to end at 1.045 and Estia Health Ltd (AX:EHE) was up 4.40% or 0.120 points to 2.850 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM), which fell 29.25% or 1.360 points to trade at 3.290 at the close. Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd (AX:SAR) declined 4.17% or 0.120 points to end at 2.760 and Regis Resources Ltd (AX:RRL) was down 4.06% or 0.220 points to 5.200.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 675 to 469 and 360 ended unchanged.
Shares in St Barbara Ltd (AX:SBM) fell to 52-week lows; down 29.25% or 1.360 to 3.290.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 2.43% to 11.301 a new 3-months low.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.11% or 1.45 to $1308.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.12% or 0.07 to hit $59.91 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 0.04% or 0.03 to trade at $67.83 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.06% to 0.7107, while AUD/JPY fell 0.01% to 78.77.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.20% at 95.797.
