Key Points:
- Australian stocks experienced higher with the S&P/ASX 200 index rising by 0.53%, led by gains in the A-REITs, Energy, and Healthcare sectors.
- Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) surged by 11.61%, while Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) and Elders Ltd (ASX:ELD) also recorded significant gains.
- St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM), ALS Ltd (ASX:ALQ), and NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX:NWH) were among the session’s worst performers.
- 599 stocks declined compared to 561 advanced ones, while 381 remained unchanged. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX experienced a modest increase of 1.69%.
Australian stocks experienced gains on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index rising by 0.53% at the close of trading. Increases in the A-REITs, Energy, and Healthcare sectors primarily drove the positive performance.
Among the top performers on the S&P/ASX 200 index was Appen Ltd (ASX:APX), which surged by 11.61% to 0.62 points by the close of the session. Additionally, Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) saw a notable increase of 3.71%, ending at 33.24 points, while Elders Ltd (ASX:ELD) rose by 2.76% to reach 8.93 points.
Conversely, St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM) experienced a decline of 5.71%, settling at 0.16 points, making it one of the session’s worst performers. ALS Ltd (ASX:ALQ) followed suit with a 4.81% drop, closing at 13.07 points, while NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX:NWH) saw a decline of 1.22%, closing at 2.83 points.
Despite the positive market sentiment on the Sydney Stock Exchange, falling stocks slightly outnumbered advancing ones, with 599 stocks declining compared to 561 advancing ones, while 381 remained unchanged. Notably, shares in Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) reached 5-year highs during the session. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, experienced a modest increase of 1.69%, reaching 11.07%.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery rose by 0.43% to $2,169.35 per troy ounce. Crude oil prices also saw gains, with May delivery increasing by 0.64% to $81.15 per barrel and the June Brent oil contract rising by 0.60% to $85.34 per barrel.
The Australian dollar remained relatively stable, with AUD/USD unchanged at 0.65, while AUD/JPY saw a slight increase of 0.09% to 98.75. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index Futures experienced a minor decline of 0.11%, reaching 104.06.
