News: XEJ Australia shares extend rally to sixth day as business sentiment improves

• Australia's business confidence surges in November
• Gold stocks lead gains on higher bullion prices
• Link Administration top pct gainer on SS&C buyout bid

(Updates to close)

Australian shares closed higher for a sixth straight session on Tuesday, lifted by data showing an improvement in business sentiment in the country and tracking an overnight rally on Wall Street.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) rose 0.2% to 6,687.7, adding about 3% in the past six sessions.

A measure of Australian business confidence and conditions surged in November to "above average" as the country's second-largest state of Victoria emerged from a lengthy lockdown and multiple states opened their borders to each other.

Ratings agency Moody's said business conditions and confidence were improving for Australia's infrastructure sector, driven by continued demand for infrastructure services and stable regulatory frameworks.

Among sectors, gold miners .AXGD outperformed others as bullion prices hit a two-week high on hopes of further U.S. stimulus measures amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

Tech stocks .AXIJ climbed to their highest in nearly two weeks, tracking strong gains in their U.S. peers overnight.

Link Administration Holdings (LNK) jumped more than 14% to lead gains on the benchmark, following a buyout bid by U.S. firm SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc SSNC.O on Monday.

Energy stocks .AXEJ , on the other hand, saw their worst day in a week as oil prices fell on surging coronavirus cases in the United States and Europe and tightening of lockdowns to tackle them.

Woodside Petroleum (WPL) , however, outperformed the sub-index as its long-time chief executive said he planned to retire in the second half of 2021 amid a push for the $11 billion Scarborough gas project.

Australia's competition regulator said Citigroup Inc C.N and Deutsche Bank AG DBKGn.DE had been committed to the Australian Federal Court for trial on criminal cartel charges in the country's biggest white collar criminal case.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) gained 0.5% to finish the session at 12,656.02.