ASX up 0.5pc, best session in six weeks

Australian shares rose 0.5 percent to 6,845.1, their highest in six weeks with energy leading gains.

ANZ shares had their worst session since June, falling 3.3% after it warned that rising interest rates would cloud the outlook. Investors sold money after data on Wednesday showed inflation soared to a 32-year high, fueling speculation of higher interest rates for longer.

NAB fell 0.5 per cent, Westpac was down 1 per cent but CBA gained 0.4 per cent. Pinnacle retreated 3.3% after its assets fell during the quarter.

It was also a tough session for Australian Clinical Labs after it disclosed a cyber attack on its subsidiary Medlab. It sank 5.4 percent and briefly touched an all-time low.

Retailers had a good day, with JB Hi-Fi gaining 0.4% after posting double-digit sales growth in the first quarter. Super Retail advanced 2.7% after posting a 20% increase in sales in the first three months of the new financial year.

Fortescue Metals shed 0.4% on rising costs amid lower ore prices. But mining heavyweights Rio Tinto and BHP rose. Core Lithium fell 5.1% after failing to secure a contract with Tesla. Whitehaven Coal advanced 3.3% and Santos added 2% to higher oil prices.

Reece rose 2.2 percent after inflation boosted its earnings in the first quarter of the year.

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