AU Evening Wrap: Australia Shares Edge 0.1% Higher

$S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ closed 0.1% higher at 7519.2 for its fourth straight session of gains. Losses in eight sectors, including information technology, which finished 1.2% lower, were offset by strong outings from material stocks, which rose 1.3%, and utilities, which added 0.9%.

Major banks $ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ANZ.AU)$, $CommBank (CBA.AU)$, $Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AU)$ and $National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB.AU)$ were weaker, closing between 0.1% and 0.8% lower. Still, miners had a strong day.

$Sayona Mining Ltd (SYA.AU)$ was the best performer, rising 10%, while $Iluka Resources Ltd (ILU.AU)$ rose 8.5% and Chalice Mining climbed 6.9%.

$Woodside Energy Group Ltd (WDS.AU)$ shed 0.4% even as it reported record annual production that was at the top end of the company's forecast. $Nanosonics Ltd (NAN.AU)$ was the worst performer, falling 33%.