Only the health sector index was in negative territory, down 1.37 per cent.
Among the big four banks, ANZ was up 6.22 per cent to $21.00, the Commonwealth Bank picked up 4.64 per cent to $71.92, NAB rose by 5.44 per cent to $20.54 and Westpac gained 5.99 per cent to $19.91.Energy shares were up after crude oil prices crossed the $US40 a barrel mark. Origin Energy is also involved in the project in central Queensland, and its shares gained 3.77 per cent to $6.46.BlueScope Steel was up 6.22 per cent to $13.14, BHP rose 4.21 per cent to $37.86, Rio Tinto was up 3.57 per cent to $102.12 and Fortescue climbed 4.4 per cent to hit an all-time high of $15.18.
In health, CSL shares lost 2.57 per cent to $278 even as it announced the acquisition of Canadian clinical-stage biotechnology company Vitaeris for its research into treating the leading cause of rejection for transplanted kidneys.