The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has posted a rise of 0.12% today following a positive session on US markets overnight. The Dow Jones gained 0.24%, while the S&P 500 added 0.29% after jobs data was well received by investors.
On the local bourse, investors digested news that China's economy continued to expand but at a slower rate. The Australian services sector contracted in March and data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that retail spending continued to grow but at a lower rate than forecast.
Sectors were mostly higher; consumer staples put in the best performance with a rise of 0.73%. Information technology, utilities, financials and materials closed lower, down 0.42%, 0.07%, 0.01% and 0.01% respectively.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today:
- Goodman Fielder Ltd (ASX: GFF) jumped 7.4% to 51 cents
- Aquila Resources Limited (ASX: AQA) rallied 4.9% to $2.55
- Platinum Asset Management Limited (ASX: PTM) rose 3.6% to $7.70
- Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) added 3.3% to $1.09
- Bradken Limited (ASX: BKN) gained 2.9% to $4.28
These stocks were the losers on the day: