PERTH: The Australian share market has ended a six-day losing streak, buoyed by resources and banking stocks.
At the close on Wednesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 7.3 points, or 0.13 per cent, higher at 5,478.6.
The broader All Ordinaries index was up 6.3 points, or 0.11 per cent, at 5,486.0, according to preliminary figures.
The June share price index futures contract was 15 points higher at 5,477, with 23,471 contracts traded.
The price of gold in Sydney at 1700 AEST was $US1,181.90 per fine ounce, up 4.7 US cents from $US1,177.20 on Tuesday.
National turnover was 1.9 billion securities worth $4.59 billion.
Oil price gains boosted the local energy sector following a strong performance by international energy companies in the US overnight.
“The positive take away is that we’ve snapped that… losing streak,” OptionsXpress analyst Ben LeBrun said.
“The market has floated a little higher.”
Investors were interested in bond markets and international equities, he said.
Among the big energy players, Woodside rose 62 cents to $36.22, and Santos was seven cents higher at $8.07.
In the banking sector, Westpac rose one cent to $31.36, Commonwealth Bank added nine cents to $79.91, National Australia Bank advanced 23 cents to $31.83 but ANZ fell seven cents to $31.09.
In the resources sector, global miner BHP Billiton was six cents higher at $27.66, Rio Tinto was down 30 cents at $56.07 and Fortescue Metals dipped six cents to $2.33.
Woolworths was up 32 cents at $27.43 after it announced plans to invest more than $650 million in new stores and infrastructure and add more than 2,000 staff to its Victorian workforce over the next three years.
Airline Qantas dropped one cent to $3.23 after it said it will begin direct flights between Sydney and San Francisco six days a week from December under an expanded co-operation agreement with American Airlines.
