News: WDS Banks, energy stocks boost Australian shares

(Updates to close)

	  RBA's Nov policy meeting minutes due on Tuesday 

	  Energy stocks snap three straight days of losses 

Australian shares closed higher on Monday, led by banking and energy stocks, while market sentiment remained upbeat on hopes that U.S. interest rates have peaked.

The benchmark index S&P/ASX 200 (xjo) ended 0.13% higher at 7,058.4 points. It fell 0.13% on Friday.

Investors are now focused on when the U.S. Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates, although comments from top Fed officials do not completely rule out the possibility of more hikes.

On the domestic front, the Australian central bank's November policy meeting minutes on Tuesday will provide further clues on its policy stance.

Financials .AXFJ on the domestic bourse rose around 0.6%, with the 'Big Four' banks climbing between 0.6% and 0.8%.

Banks have risen as the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Fed are possibly done raising rates for 2023, said Brad Smoling, managing director at Smoling Stockbroking.

Energy stocks .AXEJ rose 1.3%, snapping three consecutive sessions of losses, after oil prices extended gains.

Sector heavyweights Woodside Energy (WDS) and Santos (STO) gained around 1.3% and 1.1%, respectively.

Among individual stocks, bourse operator ASX Ltd (ASX) advanced 1.2% after it hired Tata Consultancy Services TCS.NS to overhaul its clearing and settlement software.

In contrast, gold stocks .AXGD fell 1.6% on lower overnight bullion prices. Northern Star Resources (NST) dropped 2.5%, while St Barbara (SBM) dropped 2.6%.

Technology stocks .AXIJ eased 0.1%, with investment services provider Computershare (CPU) and software maker Xero (XRO) falling 1.3% and 0.7%, respectively.

Across the Tasman Sea, the New Zealand benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) closed 0.27% higher at 11,207.46 points.