S&P/ASX 200 index in Australia is up 0.11 percent at the close of trading.

Australia’s stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, led by gains in the IT, Metals & Mining, and Resources sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.11 percent at the close in Sydney.

EML Payments Ltd (ASX:EML) was the best performer of the session on the S&P/ASX 200, rising 31.27 percent or 0.86 points to close at 3.61.

Meanwhile, NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH) rose 8.44 percent or 0.14 points to close at 1.74, and Nickel Mines Ltd (ASX: NIC) rose 7.22 percent or 0.095 points to 1.410 in late trade.

The session’s worst performer was AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP), which fell 5.00 percent or 0.055 points to close at 1.045. Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) fell 4.28 percent or 0.38 points to close at 8.49, while Bendigo And Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) fell 3.37 percent or 0.30 points to close at 8.61.

On the Sydney Stock Exchange, declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones 742 to 664, with 403 remaining unchanged. Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) shares fell to 52-week lows, falling 4.28 percent or 0.38 to $8.49.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) shares fell to 52-week lows, falling 3.37 percent or 0.30 to 8.61. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 6.20% to 11.469.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.53% or 9.40 to $1793.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.13% or 0.10 to hit $78.29 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.02% or 0.02 to trade at $82.27 a barrel.

Story by : Norvisi Mawunyegah