Australian shares soar

Australian shares reached their highest close in more than 16 months on Tuesday, with banking and consumer stocks taking the spotlight. Minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia's last policy meeting showed that it expressed cautious optimism about the country's economic prospects, while showing some concerns over low wage growth.
The S&P/ASX 200 index finished 0.52 percent or 29.02 points higher at 5591.1, its highest closing level since August 6, 2015. The "Big Four" banks ended in positive territory with National Australia Bank Ltd and Commonwealth Bank of Australia each adding slightly more than 1 percent. Retail giant Wesfarmers Ltd rose for a third straight day, closing 1.1 percent up, while Woolworths ended 1.8 percent higher. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index shed early gains and closed steady, inching up 3.42 points to 6789.67.