The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has finished the day down 0.12%, bringing to an end a seven-day string of gains. Earlier in the session the index hit a new five-year high, following Wall Street's run overnight which saw the S&P 500 hit a new all-time record high. European investors also appear enthusiastic with European stocks at six-year highs.
On the local bourse, companies continued to report mixed earnings results, while the fall in the iron ore price weighed on the mining sector.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today.
- Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) rallied 6.7% to $47.54
- Cabcharge Australia Limited (ASX: CAB) gained 6% to $4,27
- Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) added 5.8% to $1.27
- QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) rose 5.3% to $12.27
- Paladin Energy Ltd. (ASX: PDN) closed up 4.7% to 44.5 cents
These stocks were the losers on the day.
