The Australian sharemarket finished higher on Tuesday, snapping five sessions of consecutive declines.
The S&P/ASX 200 index climbed 0.8%, or 66.9 points, to close at 8316.4.
Nine of 11 sectors finished higher, with gains led by healthcare and real estate companies.
CSL lifted 0.8%, ResMed rallied 2.2% and Pro Medicus lifted 2.6%, while Mirvac Group, Goodman Group, and Charter Hall Group added 1%, 1.7%, and 0.6%, respectively.
Financial heavyweights also finished in the green, with Commonwealth Bank shares rising 1.6%, Macquarie adding 1%, and National Australia Bank up 1.5%.
Westpac also finished 0.7% higher following news of CFO Michael Rowland’s retirement next year.
Energy stocks weighed on the index, with the sector falling 1.1% as Brent crude prices dropped amid concerns over weakening Chinese demand.
Santos fell 0.6%, Woodside Energy lost 1% and Viva Energy Group dipped 0.8%.
Among data releases, the Westpac-MI Consumer Sentiment Index retreated 2% in December as forward-looking indicators declined sharply.
On the bond markets, 10-year and 2-year rates were 0.7% lower apiece at 4.303% and 3.904%, respectively.
