Australian share markets ended the trading day in positive territory on Thursday, driven by strength in technology, healthcare and A-REIT stocks. At the Sydney close, the S&P/ASX 200 was higher by 0.44%.
Among individual movers, the session's top performers included Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX:VEA), which jumped 11.89% - a rise of 0.22 points to finish at 2.07. Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX:MFG) added 11.08%, gaining 1.06 points to settle at 10.63. DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) advanced 10.12%, or 0.34 points, to close at 3.70.
On the downside, Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX:MCY) recorded the largest decline among the benchmark constituents, slipping 4.16% - down 0.23 points to 5.30 at the close. Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX:MND) fell 3.90%, a drop of 1.24 points to 30.45, while Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX:GMD) eased 3.83%, or 0.29 points, to finish at 7.28.
Market breadth in Sydney favoured advancing issues. There were 701 stocks that rose versus 448 decliners on the exchange, and 349 securities finished unchanged.
Volatility, as measured by the S&P/ASX 200 VIX which reflects implied volatility in index options, was lower on the day - down 11.72% to 14.11.
Commodities markets showed notable moves. Gold futures for April delivery rose 0.94%, an increase of 48.06, to $5,182.76 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery climbed 3.64% - up $2.72 to $77.38 a barrel. The May Brent oil contract increased 1.85%, or $1.53, to trade at $84.04 a barrel.
In currency markets, the Australian dollar was little changed against the US dollar, with AUD/USD showing a 0.31% move to 0.71. AUD/JPY fell 0.31% to 110.78. The US Dollar Index futures finished the session up 0.23% at 98.96.
Investor interest in identifying attractive opportunities for the year ahead remains, and market participants continue to weigh sector-level momentum and commodity price moves when assessing portfolio positions.
Session highlights
- S&P/ASX 200 closed up 0.44%.
- Top gainers included VEA (+11.89%), MFG (+11.08%) and DRO (+10.12%).
- Largest decliners included MCY (-4.16%), MND (-3.90%) and GMD (-3.83%).
- S&P/ASX 200 VIX fell 11.72% to 14.11.