Financial firms pushed Australian shares higher on Wednesday, in the wake of gains on Wall Street, as the market remained positive following the central bank's upbeat tone on growth. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.52 percent, or 29.476 points, to 5,651.4 at the close of trade. The benchmark rose 0.1 percent on Tuesday.
Australia's "Big Four" banks dominated gains in the benchmark, creeping up 0.5 percent to 1.4 percent. On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) stood pat as expected at its meeting and said it expects the economy to get to 3 percent growth in the next couple of years.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index was fractionally lower, finishing the session at 7,066.27 as losses in material stocks offset gains in consumer discretionaries.
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