Australian shares are up at the close; The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.61% by Investing.com

Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the , and sectors propelled shares higher.

At the close in Sydney, it gained 0.61% to hit a new all-time high.

The best performers of the session were Sims Metal Management Ltd (ASX: ), which rose 12.42% or 1.37 points to trade at 12.40 at the close. Meanwhile Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ) added 9.24% or 0.22 points to end at 2.60 and Nuix Ltd (ASX: ) was up 7.13% or 0.39 points to 5.86 at the end of trading.

The worst performers of the session were ALS Ltd (ASX: ) which was down 8.36% or 1.25 points to trade at 13.70 at the close. EML Payments Ltd (ASX: ) declined 4.96% or 0.04 points to end at 0.67 and Computershare Ltd. (ASX: ) declined 3.91% or 1.06 points to 26. 03.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 646 to 447, with 428 ending unchanged.

Shares in Zip Co Ltd (ASX:) rose to a 52-week high; gaining 9.24% or 0.22 to 2.60. Shares in EML Payments Ltd (ASX:) fell to 52-week lows; down 4.96% or 0.04 to 0.67. Shares in Nuix Ltd (ASX:) rose to 3-year highs; up 7.13% or 0.39 to 5.86.

which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, fell 0.47% to 11.76.

Gold futures for December delivery rose 0.08 percent, or 2.15, to $2,600.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodity trading, crude for November delivery rose 0.69%, or 0.48, to $70.36 a barrel, while the November Brent crude contract rose 0.65% or 0.48, to 74.13 dollars per barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged 0.65% to 0.68, while AUD/JPY rose 1.06% to 97.16.

US dollar index futures rose 0.29% to 100.58.