Australian shares rise on commodity, tech boost; investors await US election verdict
Nov 6 (Reuters) -Australian shares rose on Wednesday, tracking their peers on Wall Street, with the technology and commodity sectors leading the gains as investors braced for the outcome of a tightly fought election in the United States.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO rose 0.7% to 8,190.90 points by 2350 GMT, with all sub-indexes trading in the green. The benchmark fell 0.4% on Tuesday.
Globally, traders are tuned into a hotly-contested U.S. election as opinion polls failed to suggest a clear winner between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
In the event of Trump becoming president, his tariffs could trigger a global trade war, potentially harming Antipodean economies that depend significantly on free trade. AUD/
Back on the local bourse, the heavy-weight mining index .AXMM gained the most, as iron ore prices in top steel producer China climbed on the prospects of more stimulus measures.
Sector behemoths BHP Group BHP.AX, Rio Tinto RIO.AX and Fortescue FMG.AX rose between 0.4% and 1.2%.
The gold sector .AXGD lodged a 0.6% rise, as prices of the precious metal edged higher on prospects of political tensions in the world's largest economy. GOL/
Evolution Mining EVN.AX and Northern Star Resources NST.AX rose 1.2% and 1% respectively.
Technology stocks .AXIJ followed suit with a 1.2% gain, as their counterparts on the Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC climbed. Accounting software provider Xero XRO.AX rose 1%.
The financial sector .AXFJ advanced 0.7%, with all the "Big Four" banks trading between 0.3% and 0.8% higher.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 reversed early losses, trading 0.2% higher to 12,681.37 points.
The country's jobless rate rose to a near four-year high in the September quarter, cementing bets of a 50-basis-point cut by the central bank later this month.
Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; editing by Alan Barona
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