AU Evening Wrap: Australia Shares Kick Off Year With 0.5% Gain

$S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ ended 0.5% higher at 7627.8 in the first trading session of 2024, edging toward its record close set in August 2021. All sectors except property trusts finished the day in the green.

Energy was the best-performing sector, rising 1.5%. $Ampol Ltd (ALD.AU)$ added 1.3%, while $Woodside Energy Group Ltd (WDS.AU)$ and $Santos Ltd (STO.AU)$ rose 1.3% and 1.1% respectively.

$Core Lithium Ltd (CXO.AU)$ was the best performer, advancing 8.0%. Fellow lithium miners $Liontown Resources Ltd (LTR.AU)$, $Pilbara Minerals Ltd (PLS.AU)$ and $Mineral Resources Ltd (MIN.AU)$ climbed 2.1%, 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively.

The heavyweight financials sector also performed strongly. The major banks finished between 0.3% and 1.6% higher. But that was offset by weakness in insurers. $Insurance Australia Group Ltd (IAG.AU)$, $Suncorp Group Ltd (SUN.AU)$ and $QBE Insurance Group Ltd (QBE.AU)$ fell 1.9%, 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively.

$Eagers Automotive Ltd (APE.AU)$ rose 0.3% after giving an update on its recent cyberattack.