(Reuters) - Australian shares closed firmer for a fourth straight session on Tuesday, tracking a strong lead from Wall Street and its robust by technology and energy stocks, with local material stocks gaining on higher metals prices.
The S&P/ASX 200 index <.AXJO> rose 0.3 percent or 14.900 points to 6,013.200 at the close of trade. The benchmark added 0.07 percent on Monday.
The Australian metals and mining index <.AXMM> rose 0.8 percent, supported by an overnight rise in steel and copper prices.
Mining giant BHP <BHP.AX> rose 1.7 percent, accounting for most of the gains on the benchmark, while its peer Rio Tinto Ltd <RIO.AX> rose 1.1 percent.
Meanwhile, energy stocks were the best performers as they extended gains on higher oil prices.
Brent crude oil prices jumped above $65 per barrel for the first time since 2015 after the shutdown of the Forties North Sea pipeline knocked out significant supply from a market that was already tightening due to OPEC-led production cuts. [O/R]
Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum Ltd <WPL.AX> climbed 1.7 percent to its highest in over a month, registering a fourth consecutive session of gains.
Real estate stocks also finished the day higher, with Scentre Group <SCG.AX> posting a near 6-month high as it surged 4.1 percent, a record percentage gain for the shares.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd <ANZ.AX> led the rally in financial stocks as it rose to its highest close since November 27.
Zurich Insurance <ZURN.S> has agreed to buy Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's <ANZ.AX> life insurance arm for A$2.85 billion ($2.15 billion),its biggest foray into Australia and its third in the last two years.
In New Zealand, the market closed effectively flat, with the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index <.NZ50> up 3.30 points or 0.04 percent at 8,280.81.
Fletcher Building Ltd <FBU.NZ> accounted for most of the gains as it climbed 1.4 percent to a near 1-1/2 month high.
(Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Eric Meijer)
