Australian shares ticked up on Friday as energy and materials stocks firmed on higher oil and iron ore prices. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.5 percent or 31.3 points to 6,121.4. The benchmark added 0.9 percent on Thursday and ended the week 1.2 percent higher. Materials stocks headed higher as the most-traded May iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange in key market China climbed 1.3 percent.
Global miner BHP Billiton rose 0.5 percent, while rival Rio Tinto Ltd climbed 0.7 percent. Meanwhile, shares of James Hardie Industries PLC, rose 6.8 percent to a record closing high and were among the benchmark's top percentage gainers. Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand shares ticked up, helped by a rise in materials and industrials. The benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.4 percent or 31.42 points to 8,415.29, adding 1.3 percent on a weekly basis. The main index ended higher for a third straight week.
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