Key Points:
- Australian stocks closed higher, led by the Metals & Mining, Materials, and Resources sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.45% at the close.
- Elders Ltd. (ASX:ELD), Appen Ltd. (ASX:APX), and Ansell Ltd. (ASX:ANN) were among the top performers on the Sydney Stock Exchange.
- EML Payments Ltd. (ASX:EML), Nanosonics Ltd. (ASX:NAN), and Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX:WGX) were among the worst performers.
- Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX decreased slightly by 0.16%.
Australian stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with gains in the Metals & Mining, Materials, and Resources sectors driving the market upward. At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.45%, reflecting positive sentiment among investors.
Among the top performers on the S&P/ASX 200 index was Appen Ltd. (ASX:APX), which surged by 8.06% or 0.05 points to trade at 0.67 at the close. Elders Ltd. (ASX:ELD) and Ansell Ltd. (ASX:ANN) also recorded notable gains of 7.67% and 6.45%, respectively.
However, some stocks experienced declines during the session. EML Payments Ltd. (ASX:EML) saw a significant decline, which fell 4.61% or 0.05 points to trade at 1.04 at the close. Nanosonics Ltd. (ASX:NAN) and Westgold Resources Ltd. (ASX:WGX) also experienced losses, falling by 4.26% and 3.52%, respectively.
Overall, rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange, with 616 stocks advancing, 568 declining, and 434 remaining unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, experienced a slight decrease of 0.16% to 11.00, indicating relatively stable market conditions.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for June delivery rose by 0.58% to $2,364.55 a troy ounce. Crude oil for delivery in May also saw a modest increase of 0.14% to $86.55 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose by 0.17% to $90.53 a barrel.
In currency markets, the AUD/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.66, while the AUD/JPY pair saw a slight increase of 0.01% to 100.29. The US Dollar Index Futures increased by 0.02% to 103.93, reflecting marginal strength in the US dollar against a basket of major currencies.