Australia stocks higher at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 up 0.33%

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At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.33%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG), which rose 16.67% or 0.03 points to trade at 0.21 at the close. Meanwhile, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) added 6.86% or 1.35 points to end at 21.03 and Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) was up 5.28% or 0.10 points to 1.89 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX:OBL), which fell 7.38% or 0.31 points to trade at 3.89 at the close. Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) declined 5.14% or 0.25 points to end at 4.61 and IGO Ltd (ASX:IGO) was down 4.90% or 0.80 points to 15.54.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 734 to 573 and 382 ended unchanged.

Shares in Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) rose to 52-week highs; up 5.28% or 0.10 to 1.89.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 0.55% to 12.74.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.12% or 2.25 to $1,811.85 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 0.55% or 0.44 to hit $80.42 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.57% or 0.49 to trade at $86.06 a barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged 0.34% to 0.68, while AUD/JPY rose 0.90% to 92.00.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.08% at 104.41.