News: XEJ Australian shares track Wall Street higher ahead of RBA meeting

• Australian benchmark index hits highest since mid-Feb
• Cleanaway top gainer on deal to buy Suez's local unit
• RBA expected to hold rates at monthly meeting

Australian shares climbed on Tuesday as trading resumed after a long weekend, with market sentiment bolstered by Wall Street's strong finish overnight, while investors waited for a policy meeting of the country's central bank due later in the day.

U.S. stocks rallied overnight, with the Dow and the S&P 500 closing at record levels, after a survey showed a measure of services industry activity jumped to a record high in March.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) rose as much as 1.2% to 6,909, hitting its highest since mid-February, ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia's monthly policy meeting where it is widely expected to maintain key rates at a record low of 0.1% and stick to a dovish tone.

Australian and New Zealand markets were closed on Friday and Monday for holidays.

Gains were broad-based in Australia, with nearly all sectors trading in positive territory.

Tech stocks .AXIJ added more than 4% to hit their highest level in over a month. Buy-now-pay-later heavyweight Afterpay Ltd (APT) jumped more than 8%, while software firm Xero Ltd (XRO) gained 3%.

Strength in crude, copper and bullion prices lifted energy .AXEJ , mining .AXMM and gold .AXGD stocks, which climbed in a range of 1% to 2%.

Among individual stocks, Cleanaway Waste Management (CWY) jumped more than 11% to lead gains on the benchmark after it said it would acquire the local recycling and recovery business of French firm Suez SEVI.PA for A$2.52 billion ($1.93 billion).

Travel stocks in Australia and New Zealand climbed ahead of a possible announcement regarding a travel bubble between the two countries.

Carriers Air New Zealand (AIR) and Qantas Airways (QAN) rose more than 6% and 3%, respectively.

In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) fell 0.3%, with utilities weighing the most.