(Reuters) - Australian shares ended the day and the week in positive territory on Friday, buoyed by an extended comeback rally on Wall Street, which supported sentiment across Asia Pacific markets.
The S&P/ASX 200 index <.AXJO> closed 1 percent higher at 5,654.30. The benchmark advanced 1.9 percent on Thursday.
U.S. equities climbed on Thursday after an initial selloff, a day after the major indexes posted their biggest daily percentage increases in nearly a decade. [.N]
Australian shares have gained 3.4 percent this week, snapping two weeks of losses and posting their biggest weekly increase since November 2016. Markets were closed for much of this week due to Christmas and Boxing Day holidays.
Leading gains, financial stocks <.AXFJ> rose 2.3 percent on Friday and clocked 4.6 percent in weekly gains, after three straight weeks of losses.
The "Big Four" banks climbed in the range of 2.3 percent and 3 percent, with National Australia Bank Ltd <NAB.AX> and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd <ANZ.AX> gaining 2.7 percent each.
The industry saw a bumpy year after widespread revelations of misconduct led to a national inquiry, which is due to release its final report by Feb. 1. The financial sector index was poised to lose about 15 percent this year.
Meanwhile, the energy index <.AXEJ> rose more than one percent on Friday and was up 4.9 percent this week, its biggest weekly gain in more than three months.
Oil prices jumped as much as 3 percent, rebounding from previous session's declines, even as supply glut concerns persist. [O/R]
Woodside Petroleum Ltd <WPL.AX> was up 0.9 percent while peer Santos Ltd <STO.AX> advanced 1.7 percent.
Metals and mining stocks <.AXMM> rose marginally, with index heavyweight BHP Group Ltd <BHP.AX> declining 0.6 percent and Rio Tinto Ltd <RIO.AX> gaining 0.5 percent. The index gained for a fourth straight week.
Australia's fourth biggest firm by market capitalisation, drugmaker CSL Ltd <CSL.AX> rose 1.2 percent, driving gains in the healthcare index <.AXHJ>, which snapped two weeks of losses to rise 4.6 percent for the week.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index <.NZ50> was slightly higher, finishing the session at 8,783.49. The benchmark gained more than 1 percent this week after three weeks of losses.
Auckland International Airport Ltd <AIA.NZ> slumped 2.9 percent, while a2 Milk Company Ltd <ATM.NZ> rose 0.7 percent.
(Reporting by Niyati Shetty in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)
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