Key Points:
- Australian stocks closed higher, driven by gains in the Gold, IT, and financial sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.23%.
- Qube Holdings Ltd. (ASX:QUB), Bega Cheese Ltd. (ASX:BGA), and Amcor PLC (ASX:AMC) were among the top performers.
- Bapcor Ltd. (ASX:BAP), Omni Bridgeway Ltd. (ASX:OBL), and Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. (ASX:PBH) were among the worst performers.
- 580 stocks declined, 563 advanced, and 428 remained unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX decreased by 8.08% to 11.65.
Australia’s stock market closed higher on Thursday, buoyed by notable gains in the Gold, IT, and Financials sectors. At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.23% or 17.10 to 7,587.00, reflecting a positive sentiment in the market.
Among the top performers on the S&P/ASX 200 was Qube Holdings Ltd. (ASX:QUB), which saw a significant increase of 6.71% or 0.22 points, reaching 3.50 by the close. Additionally, Bega Cheese Ltd. (ASX:BGA) rose by 5.06% or 0.21 points, settling at 4.36, while Amcor PLC (ASX:AMC) experienced a gain of 4.15% or 0.60 points, closing at 15.05 in late trade.
Conversely, Bapcor Ltd. (ASX:BAP) emerged as one of the worst performers, witnessing a substantial decline of 23.88% or 1.38 points, concluding at 4.40. Following suit, Omni Bridgeway Ltd. (ASX:OBL) fell by 6.09% or 0.07 points, reaching 1.08, while Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. (ASX:PBH) experienced a decrease of 4.85% or 0.025 points, closing at 0.49.
The Sydney Stock Exchange saw a slightly higher number of falling stocks than advancing ones, with 580 stocks declining, 563 advancing, and 428 remaining unchanged. Qube Holdings Ltd. (ASX:QUB) surged to 3-year highs, while Bapcor Ltd. (ASX:BAP) fell to 3-year lows. Additionally, Omni Bridgeway Ltd. (ASX:OBL) experienced a decline to 5-year lows. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, measuring the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, decreased by 8.07% or 1.02 to 11.65.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for June delivery increased by 0.66% or 15.15, trading at $2,326.15 a troy ounce. Crude oil for June delivery rose by 0.70% or 0.55, reaching $79.55 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose by 0.73% or 0.61, trading at $84.05 a barrel.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) exhibited mixed performance across different currency pairs. Regarding currency exchange rates, the AUD/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.65, while the AUD/JPY pair increased by 0.80% to 101.68. The US Dollar Index Futures decreased by 0.11% to 105.51.
