News: XEJ Australia shares rise as materials shine, NZ down for fourth day

(Updates to close)

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Monday led by material stocks, thanks to strong gains in gold and base metal prices and Wall Street's ascent to record closing highs. [MET/L] [.N]

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) rose 0.1 percent, or 7 points to 6077.1 at the close of trade. The benchmark had risen 0.04 percent on Friday.

Australia's mining sector .AXMM rose as much as 1.6 percent to hit a near 5-year high.

Mining giant BHP (BHP) drove the gains on the benchmark, rising as much as 2 percent to hit a more-than-three-year high, while South32 Ltd rose as much as 3.6 percent hitting a record high.

Meanwhile, gold stocks .AXGD were also in the black, rising 3.8 percent to hit an more-than-one-year high, buoyed by a weak dollar that slumped to three-year lows against a basket of currencies.[GOL/]

Gold miners Regis Resources (RRL) rose over 3 percent while Northern Star Resources (NST) was up 4.5 percent.

The country's financial index .AXFJ was up marginally with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) leading the gains rising 0.4 percent and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) climbing 0.5 percent.

In telecommunications sector, internet services provider Vocus Group (VOC) rose nearly 1 percent after the company said it would separate its enterprise and wholesale arm of its Australian business into two operating segments.

On the downside, energy stocks .AXEJ fell 0.8 percent as rising drilling activity in the United States pointed to a higher output in future, with Origin Energy (ORG) slipping 1.8 percent and Oil Search (OSH) falling 1.3 percent. [O/R]

Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) fell 0.4 percent or 30.98 points to finish the session at 8211.37, its lowest in over five weeks. The index fell for its fourth straight session.

Industrials and healthcare stocks led the losses on the benchmark with Auckland International Airport Ltd (AIA) falling 1.4 percent, while medical device maker Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp (FPH) losing 0.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Fletcher Building (FBU) was the top gainer on the index, rising 1.7 percent.