News: WBC Australian shares end at 4-week high as retail sales affirm rate pause view

	  Benchmark logs 7th straight session of gains 

	  Dec retail sales down 2.7% 

	  Local inflation data due Jan. 31 

	  U.S. Fed policy decision in focus 

Australian shares closed at a nearly one-month high on Tuesday, helped by miners and healthcare stocks, with investors rejoicing as a decline in local retail sales affirmed a pause by the central bank in its upcoming monetary policy meeting.

The benchmark index S&P/ASX 200 (xjo) rose 0.3% to 7,600.2 points, its highest closing level since Jan. 2.

Data showed retail sales in December flipped into reverse after rising in November, reinforcing market views that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will not hike its key interest rate in its meeting next week and that of a rate cut expected later in the year.

"Today's retail sales data backed up the view that rate cuts were on the horizon in the middle of 2024, with sales tumbling," said Josh Gilbert, market analyst at brokerage eToro.

"This is a sign the RBA wanted to see, sales weakening and likely to show further signs of weakening in the months ahead."

Globally, investors keenly await the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, due late on Wednesday. Market is widely predicting that the Fed will keep its rates unchanged.

"With a decent reading from GDP (gross domestic product) last week, Jerome Powell will not be in a hurry to celebrate, but with inflation continuing to move in the right direction, it will be hard for the Governor to sound anything but dovish," Gilbert added.

Also on investors' radar will be local inflation data due on Wednesday, which could influence the RBA's monetary stance in March.

In the local bourse, miners .AXMM led the gains on the benchmark, rising 0.7%.

Healthcare sector .AXHJ gained 1.1% with biotech giant CSL Ltd (CSL) the top gainer, advancing 1.2%.

Among other sectors, gold stocks .AXGD rose 1.5% while technology stocks tracked their overseas peers higher, ending the day 1.9% in the green.

However, energy .AXEJ and banks .AXFJ both dropped 0.2%. The New Zealand benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) ended marginally higher at 11,914.4 points.