Title : Australia stocks higher at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 up 0.06%

Jul 12, 2022 03:45AM ET

By: AnalysisWatch

Australian shares rose after Tuesday's close thanks to gains in the utilities, consumer staples and health care sectors.

The S&P/ASX 200 index added 0.06 percent at the close of trading in Sydney.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) had the best performance of the session, rising 6.00% or 0.03 points to 0.53. Meanwhile, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX: APE) added 3.31% or 0.35 points to 10.91 and NIB Holdings (ASX: NHF) was up 2.82% or 0.21 points to 7.66 in late trading.

Shares of Kogan.com Ltd (ASX:KGN) were the worst performers of the session, dropping 9.67% or 0.29 points to 2.71 at the close. Perenti Global Ltd (ASX:PRN) was down 6.92% or 0.05 points at 0.61 and Nuix Ltd (ASX:NXL) was down 5.70% or 0.05 points at 0.74.

On the Sydney Stock Exchange, falling stocks outnumbered rising stocks by 857 to 479, while 353 remained unchanged.

Shares of Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) fell to 3-year lows, losing 9.67 percent, or 0.29 points, to 2.71.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, rose 1.56% to 18.24.

Gold futures for August delivery rose 0.07% or 1.20 to $1,732.90 a troy ounce. In the commodities sector, August crude oil was down 2.07%, or 2.15 percent, to $101.94 a barrel and September Brent crude oil contract fell 1.69%, or 1.81 percent, to $105.29 a barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged at 0.67 and AUD/JPY fell 0.31% to 92.19.

The dollar index futures rose 0.48% to 108.35.