Australian shares ended the session higher on Friday as advances in the Gold, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors supported the broader market. At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.10% to finish the day higher.
The session's top performers on the S&P/ASX 200 included Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1), which jumped 11.58% or 1.88 points to close at 18.11. Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) added 7.84% or 0.19 points, finishing at 2.55, and Capstone Copper Corp DRC (ASX:CSC) rose 7.36% or 0.94 points to end the day at 13.72.
On the downside, Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) was the weakest large-cap performer, falling 5.25% or 0.19 points to close at 3.43. Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) declined 5.12% or 1.94 points to 35.95, while Domino'S Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX:DMP) slipped 5.03% or 0.99 points to end at 18.61.
Market breadth in Sydney favored advancers: 669 stocks rose, 415 fell and 373 finished unchanged.
Notably, shares of Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) fell to 5-year lows, closing down 5.25% or 0.19 at 3.43.
Volatility as measured by the S&P/ASX 200 VIX moved lower, with the index down 2.33% to 11.41, indicating a reduction in implied volatility for ASX 200 options.
Commodities were broadly weaker in the session. Gold futures for August delivery fell 0.48% or 19.70 to $4,080.40 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for September delivery dropped 1.88% or 1.57 to $82.02 a barrel, while the October Brent contract declined 1.58% or 1.37 to $85.51 a barrel.
In currency markets, AUD/USD was effectively unchanged, up 0.19% to 0.70, and AUD/JPY strengthened 0.65% to 112.84. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.24% at 99.96.
This close reflects a session in which resource-related sectors provided upside momentum even as selected technology, logistics and consumer-facing names posted notable declines. The S&P/ASX 200 finished the day modestly higher, supported by gains among miners and materials firms.