News: XEJ Australian shares end higher on gold boost, US PCE price index in focus

	  ASX 200 up 0.2%, US PCE price index awaited 

	  Gold stocks jump 1.5% 

	  NZ Oct consumer confidence rises 

(Updates to close)

Australian shares closed higher on Friday, led by a surge in gold stocks, while investors awaited the U.S. personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, due later in the day.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) rose 0.2% to 6,826.9. The benchmark fell 0.6% to a year low level on Thursday.

Globally, all eyes are now on U.S. data later in the session that may show core inflation growing 0.3% in September on a monthly basis, pushing the annual rate lower to 3.7%.

Gold stocks .AXGD jumped 1.5%, as bullion prices were poised for a third consecutive weekly gain as the Middle East conflict kept investors drawn towards safety of bullion.

Top gold miner Northern Star Resources (NST) climbed 0.3%.

Investors are pricing in another rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia as early as November after data on Wednesday showed the consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.2% in the third quarter, above forecasts of 1.1% and up from a 0.8% increase in the previous quarter.

"I am leaning towards the RBA hiking next time around and I think it will be largely spurred on by that spike we saw in third-quarter CPI," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Energy stocks .AXEJ gained 0.7%, as oil prices rose over $1 as reports that the U.S military struck Iranian targets in Syria raised concerns of a widening of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Heavyweight miners .AXMM climbed 0.7%, with sector majors BHP Group (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO) gaining 0.3% and 0.1%, respectively.

However, tech stocks .AXIJ declined 0.8%, tracking overnight losses in tech-heavy Nasdaq.

Consumer confidence in New Zealand rose in October but more remained wary about purchasing major household items.

The benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) fell 0.8% to 10,766.82.