STOCK WATCH
THE Australian sharemarket has hit a fresh 11-month high, with healthcare, energy and financial stocks the main areas of strength. 
The benchmark ASX 200 index ended the day at 5512.4 points.
Nine of the 12 market sectors finished in positive territory, as investors followed strong leads on Wall Street and major European markets.
"We've seen another high for 2016, and in the last 11 sessions, 10 have been positive for the Australian share market," Bell Direct equities analyst Julia Lee said.
The benchmark ASX 200 index was up 23.7 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 5512.4 points while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 22.8 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 5588.7.
Biotechnology giant CSL was the top performer among Australia's 20 largest companies, adding $2.10 to $119.11, while Ramsay Health Care gained 49c to $77.08.
Energy giant Woodside Petroleum gained 26c to $27.60, despite reporting a drop in second quarter revenue and production.
Macquarie Group was the best performer in the financial sector, adding 81c to $74.05. The Commonwealth Bank gained 27c to $77.03, Westpac added 22c to $30.60, ANZ rose 19c to $25.42 and NAB was 13c higher at $26.24.Gold miner Evolution Mining lost 11c to $2.65 despite its annual gold output hitting a record high of 803,476 ounces in the year to   June.