MELBOURNE, Feb 14: Australian shares rose 0.7 percent to their highest in four-and-a-half years on Thursday as miners rallied on expectations new Rio Tinto Chief Executive Sam Walsh could impress when the company reveals its full-year earnings later in the day.
Gains in some banking stocks and others, such as Wesfarmers, also boosted the market.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index added 33 points to 5,036.9, according to the latest data, its best since September 2008.
New Zealand’s benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.4 percent to 4,239.2.
Rio Tinto was 2.3 percent higher at A$72.07 before the result, due at 0600 GMT.
(AGENCIES)
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