PERTH: Australian shares notched up a third consecutive day of gains on global optimism about the Greek government striking a debt bailout deal to avoid leaving the Eurozone.
At the close on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 74.1 points, or 1.32 per cent, at 5,684.3 points.
The local share market was more than 1.2 per cent higher for the second time in three days after European and US markets had surged overnight.
Healthcare, banking and telecommunications stocks were the best performers.
Investors were keen on income or high dividend paying stocks, said IG market strategist Stan Shamu.
“We have had a lot of profit downgrades and cracks in the system – through Woolworths, Seek, Flight Centre – so if there is no growth in stocks investors naturally chase income,” he told AAP.
Flight Centre has had a massive $600 million wiped off its market value after the travel company issued its second profit warning in six months.
Its shares finished $5.90, or 13.59 per cent, lower at $37.51.
Hospitals operator Healthscope was up nine cents, or 3.4 per cent, to $2.74 after announcing it will sell its Australian pathology operations for $105 million to a private equity group.
Commonwealth Bank closed up $1.74, or 2.05 per cent, at $86.76, National Australia Bank added 63 cents, or 1.9 per cent, to $34.40, ANZ was up 51 cents, or 1.6 per cent, to $33.42 and Westpac was 58 cents, or 1.8 per cent, stronger at $33.70.
Telstra lifted 10 cents to $6.28.
The big miners were mixed, with BHP Billiton up 29 cents at $28.61, Rio Tinto climbed 54 cents to $56.34 and Fortescue Metals dropped two cents to $2.18.
