The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has posted another gain today despite a mixed lead from U.S. markets. The local index finished the session 0.29% higher; overnight the Dow Jones was down 0.15%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.12%.
In general, investors reacted positively to earnings reports; all sectors were higher with the exception of gold and materials which gave up some of yesterday's strong gains. Meanwhile on the economic front, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released Wage Price Index data for the December quarter which showed muted wage growth.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today.
- SEEK Ltd (ASX: SEK) soared 17.8% to $15.70
- Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) rallied 8.3% to $1.18
- NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) climbed 3.8% to $1.49
- Decmil Group Limited (ASX: DCG) gained 3.8% to $2.05
- G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM) rose 3.8% to $4.10
These stocks were the losers on the day.
