(Reuters) - Australian shares ended in positive territory on Tuesday, supported by upbeat bank stocks and resource counters climbing as commodity prices rallied.
The S&P/ASX 200 index <.AXJO> rose 51.81 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,772.4 at the close of trade. The benchmark rose 0.3 percent on Monday.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia <CBA.AX> rose about 1 percent while Westpac Banking Corp <WBC.AX> added around 0.8 percent.
An index of energy stocks <.AXEJ> settled a little over 2 percent higher after touching its highest in almost seven weeks at one point.
Global miner BHP Billiton <BHP.AX> headed the robust materials sector, ending 1.2 percent higher. BHP denied a newspaper report that it had agreed to sell its stake in the Samarco iron ore mine to its partner Vale <VALE5.SA>.
Iron ore prices extended gains to a third day on strong restocking demand. [IRONORE/]
Australian manufacturing activity continued to expand in July, a survey showed on Tuesday, while the central bank kept its interest rates steady after a policy meeting.
Bucking the trend, Navitas <NVT.AX> Australia's biggest listed private educator, ended 10.1 percent lower after annual profits missed forecasts.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index <.NZ50> rose 35.45 points, or 0.5 percent, to finish the session at 7,729.44.
The telecom sector led the gains, with Spark New Zealand <SPK.NZ> the biggest gainer, closing 2.9 percent higher.
(Reporting by Hanna Paul; Editing by Eric Meijer)
