Australian shares rose on Tuesday by their most in two weeks, as biotech firm CSL Ltd led healthcare stocks higher and miners advanced on the back of an extended rally in iron ore futures.
The S&P/ASX 200 index settled 0.86% higher at 7,355 to notch its best session since Dec. 8, with all sectors except real estate, industrials and education closing in positive territory.
Healthcare stocks rallied 3.9% in their best session since August 2020. Kunal Sawhney, the chief executive officer at equity research firm Kalkine Group, said the gains were primarily fuelled by CSL's recovery.
CSL shares closed 4.9% higher in their second straight session of gains, after shedding 8.8% last week mainly due to a discounted capital raise to fund its acquisition of Vifor Pharma.
Omicron, Magellan Financial drag Australian shares lower
Among other gainers, Cochlear and Ramsay Health Care rose 3.9% and 3.1%, respectively.
"The broader optimism was seen to be ruling in favour of the healthcare sector," Sawhney said.
Analysts at Jefferies were also bullish on the sector on expectation that rising COVID-19 cases would contribute to pathology revenues.
Mining stocks gained 1.1%, with Rio Tinto and BHP Group rising 3.2% and 1.5% respectively, as iron ore prices extended their rally and hit multi-week highs on China demand hopes.
Energy stocks firmed 1.6%. Investment house Washington H Soul Pattinson And Co and Ampol rose 3.7% and 2%, respectively.
However, lithium explorer Pilbara Minerals fell 9% to be the top loser on the benchmark after it slashed its annual production forecast due to delays and shutdowns at project sites.
Meanwhile, minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia's Dec. 7 meeting showed its board did not expect the Omicron variant to derail the country's economic recovery. The board also mulled how to wind up its bond buying programme given the rapid economic pickup.
Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index climbed 0.71% to 12,856.87 despite the country delaying the reopening of its international border to late February.
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