Australian shares rose at the close on Thursday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 finishing 0.24% higher in Sydney to mark a new one-month high. Sector gains in Energy, Utilities and Financials were cited as the principal drivers of the advance.
Within the index, Bendigo And Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX:BEN) was the session's strongest performer, climbing 8.70% or 0.91 points to end at 11.37. ASX Ltd (ASX:ASX) also posted a sizable advance, up 6.25% or 3.37 points to 57.25. Woodside Energy Ltd (ASX:WDS) contributed to the market's upward momentum with a 3.68% gain, adding 1.18 points to close at 33.24.
Not all companies moved higher. Orora Ltd (ASX:ORA) posted the steepest decline, dropping 18.23% or 0.36 points to finish at 1.62. The slide pushed the stock to a five-year low. Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) fell 10.57% or 4.58 points to end at 38.77, while Zip Co Ltd (ASX:ZIP) decreased 10.03% or 0.20 points to 1.80.
Market breadth was negative by a wide margin. On the Sydney Stock Exchange, decliners outnumbered advancers by 681 to 443, with 391 stocks unchanged at the close.
Volatility indicators softened as the S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, declined 7.55% to 14.72, settling at a new one-month low.
Commodities trading displayed divergent moves. Gold Futures for June delivery fell 0.76% or 36.11 to $4,741.09 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery strengthened, rising 3.28% or 3.10 to $97.51 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract gained 2.29% or 2.17 to trade at $96.92 a barrel.
In currency markets, AUD/USD was unchanged 0.10% to 0.70, while AUD/JPY ticked higher by 0.11% to 111.78. The US Dollar Index Futures eased slightly, down 0.02% at 98.91.
While the headline shows a modest gain for the broader market, individual stock moves were more pronounced, highlighting uneven performance across sectors and companies. The fall in the VIX suggests market participants saw less near-term volatility even as a large number of stocks declined on the day.