Australian shares finished higher on Wednesday, with heavyweight mining stocks leading the market after concerns over potential copper supply disruptions in Chile lifted sentiment across the resources sector.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 32.6 points, or 0.37%, to 8,841.1, with six of the 11 sectors closing in positive territory.
Materials led the gains, with BHP jumping 3.2%, Rio Tinto adding 1.1% and Fortescue rising 0.3%.
The sector was supported by forecasts of a powerful winter storm in Chile that could bring heavy rainfall to key copper-producing regions, raising the risk of disruptions to mining operations and transport infrastructure.
Rio Tinto gained 1.1% after reporting second-quarter Pilbara iron ore shipments slightly ahead of market expectations.
However, the miner's copper production missed forecasts, and it lowered its C1 copper cost guidance to US$0.30-$0.50 a pound from a previous range of $0.65-$0.75.
James Hardie also surged 6.1% after softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data overnight boosted expectations that the Federal Reserve may adopt a less aggressive approach to monetary tightening.
The Technology sector also advanced overall, although performance among major names was mixed.
Appen rose 2.3%, Megaport gained 2.5% and NextDC climbed 5.7%, while Xero fell 3.6%, WiseTech Global lost 1.4%, and TechnologyOne declined 2.2%.
Kingsgate Consolidated soared 15.9%, leading gains on the index, after announcing that repair works at its Chatree gold mine in Thailand were progressing well, with around 50% of Plant 1's normal processing capacity now restored.
L1 Capital fell 3.8% despite reporting that funds under management increased 12.4% during the June quarter to $19.1 billion, supported by stronger investment performance and net inflows into its long-short strategies and L1 Gold Fund.
Evolution Mining declined 3.7% after warning that inflation is expected to lift FY27 operating costs by 4% to 5%, while capital expenditure is also forecast to increase as development activity accelerates.
On the bond markets, the Australian 10-year government bond yield rose 0.2% to 4.903%, while the two-year yield eased 0.2% to 4.514%.
