Australia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Consumer Staples, IT and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.94% to hit a new all time high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV), which rose 10.98% or 0.280 points to trade at 2.830 at the close. Meanwhile, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) added 5.46% or 0.660 points to end at 12.740 and A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX:A2M) was up 5.27% or 0.780 points to 15.590 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE), which fell 5.80% or 0.590 points to trade at 9.580 at the close. St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM) declined 4.32% or 0.130 points to end at 2.880 and Sandfire Resources NL (ASX:SFR) was down 2.28% or 0.140 points to 6.000.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 693 to 484 and 344 ended unchanged.
Shares in Polynovo Ltd (ASX:PNV) rose to all time highs; rising 10.98% or 0.280 to 2.830. Shares in Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) rose to all time highs; rising 5.46% or 0.660 to 12.740.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.12% to 12.110.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.41% or 6.45 to $1551.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 0.51% or 0.30 to hit $58.08 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 0.40% or 0.26 to trade at $64.33 a barrel.
AUD/USD was down 0.06% to 0.6840, while AUD/JPY rose 0.11% to 75.28.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.12% at 97.407.
