Australian stocks concluded the trading session on a positive note, with the S&P/ASX 200 rising by 0.79%, reaching a new 52-week high. Gains were primarily led by the A-REITs, IT, and Metals & Mining sectors.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 exhibited strength, continuing its upward trend.
Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) emerged as one of the top performers on the S&P/ASX 200, registering a 6.19% increase or 0.04 points, concluding at 0.60 at the close. St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM) also demonstrated notable strength, adding 5.00% or 0.01 points, reaching 0.21. In late trade, Nuix Ltd (ASX:NXL) exhibited resilience, climbing by 4.41% or 0.08 points to 1.89.
On the downside, Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX:PBH) experienced a decline of 2.12%, falling by 0.02 points to trade at 0.93 at the close. Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) also faced a downturn, declining by 1.97% or 0.01 points to end at 0.62. Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX:TAH) was down 1.79%, shedding 0.02 points to reach 0.82.
The Sydney Stock Exchange observed a positive market breadth, with rising stocks outnumbering declining ones by 746 to 424. Additionally, 339 stocks concluded the session unchanged.
Nuix Ltd (ASX:NXL) secured a notable milestone, reaching 52-week highs and rising by 4.41% to 1.89.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, measuring the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, experienced a 9.76% uptick, reaching 10.76.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for February delivery rose by 0.35% or 7.30 to $2,077.10 per troy ounce. Crude oil for delivery in February witnessed a 0.20% decline, falling by 0.15 to $75.42 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell by 0.05% or 0.04 to trade at $80.81 a barrel.
Currency markets showed stability, with AUD/USD unchanged at 0.68, and AUD/JPY rising by 0.22% to 97.38.
The US Dollar Index Futures exhibited a marginal increase of 0.03%, reaching 101.14. The overall market sentiment remains positive, with the S&P/ASX 200 achieving a new 52-week high and demonstrating strength across key sectors.