Australia stocks higher at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 up 0.92%

Australia's stock market closed higher on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 index rising 0.92%. The index's gains were driven by strong performances from the A-REITs, Consumer Discretionary, and Telecoms Services sectors. LendLease Group led the session with a 12.97% increase, ending the day at 2.70. Northern Star Resources Ltd and Charter Hall Group also contributed to the rally, climbing 6.74% and 6.72% respectively.

Conversely, Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd saw the largest decline of the day, falling 4.66% to 13.31. IperionX Limited and Cochlear Ltd were among other stocks that slipped, with IperionX down 4.18% to 2.52 and Cochlear falling 2.79% to 140.33. The number of rising stocks outnumbered the declining ones 693 to 410, while 384 closed unchanged.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which gauges implied volatility in these options, reached a 1-month low at 10.31. Meanwhile, gold futures for December delivery gained 0.78% to $4,212.45 per troy ounce, while crude oil for November delivery increased 0.40% to $89.74 a barrel. AUD/USD remained steady at 0.70, and AUD/JPY dropped 0.44% to 109.41. The US Dollar Index Futures also declined by 0.12% to 100.99.