News: WOW Australia shares edge up as Metcash jumps; NZ steady

Australian shares edged up on Monday with the consumer staples sector climbing after Metcash Ltd (MTS) reported a rise in underlying annual profit, but financial stocks struggled to remain positive amid continuing concerns over bank taxes.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) rose 0.2 percent or 10.13 points to 5,726.00 by 0327 GMT. The benchmark rose 0.2 percent higher on Friday.

Consumer non-cyclicals gained the most with Metcash Ltd (MTS) jumping as much as 9.1 percent to its highest in nearly three months.

Metcash posted its biggest intraday percentage gain in 10 months after reporting a 9.3 percent rise in underlying annual profit and announcing plans to resume dividend payments.

Retailers Woolworths Ltd (WOW) and Wesfarmers Ltd (WES) were among the top gainers rising 1.2 percent and 0.9 percent respectively.

In other stocks, miners .AXMM were on track to record a third session of gains on the back of oil and gold prices which rose on Friday helped by a weaker dollar. [GOL/] [O/R]

South32 Ltd climbed 1.4 percent while Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO) added 0.9 percent.

The financial sector .AXFJ drifted as concerns over the federal government's proposed bank levy and some states' interest in adding levies of their own persisted.

Australia's decision to impose a A$6.2 billion tax on the five biggest banks has created uncertainty among global investors who no longer see the country as a stable investment destination, according to the chief executive of National Australia Bank (NAB).

National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB) and Westpac Banking Corp (WBC) shed 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent while Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ) gained marginally.

A second Australian state on Friday said it was open to charging its own bank tax.

Insurer QBE was the biggest loser on the benchmark after it shed 2.5 percent to its lowest in over six months, while retirement community developer/operator Aveo Group (AOG) slumped to its lowest in nearly 2 years.

Aveo fell as much as 10.5 percent after media reports of alleged customer exploitation.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) climbed 0.5 percent or 35.14 points to 7,588.78.

Telecommunications stocks led the gains on the index with Spark New Zealand Ltd (SPK) rising 2.1 percent.

Consumer discretionary was in the red after SKY Network Television Ltd (SKT) fell as much as 5 percent to its lowest in over eight years.

The pay television provider terminated a sales agreement to buy Vodafone's local unit.