* Trading on ASX resumes without incident
* Oil prices jump on vaccine hopes, boost energy stocks
* Energy index hits highest since June 11
Nov 17 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Tuesday on
positive news from another coronavirus vaccine trial, and equity
market operations resumed without incident after a software
glitch forced the exchange operator to halt trade in the
previous session.
The S&P/ASX 200 index was up 0.23% at 6,484.3 points
by 2315 GMT, hovering at its highest since March 3. The index
had risen to that level with a 1.2% gain in the previous session
before trading was paused.
Trading on Australia's stock exchange was halted just 20
minutes from the open on Monday due to "market data issues",
cutting Australian equities off from a rally in broader Asian
markets fuelled by positive data from Pfizer's COVID-19
vaccine.
Optimism continued on Tuesday after another U.S. drugmaker,
Moderna Inc, said its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was
94.5% effective in preventing infection, lending hope that with
an effective drug, economies may be able to reopen fully sooner
than seen.
Oil prices jumped on the news, sending the ASX 200 Energy
index up 3.1% to its highest since June 11, led by Beach
Energy Ltd, up 5.1%, followed by Oil Search Ltd
, gaining 4.8%.
Sector heavyweight Woodside Petroleum Ltd rose 3.9%
while Santos Ltd added 4.8%.
Chinese iron ore futures rose 0.7%, helping the
index's heavyweight stocks, miners BHP Group Ltd and
Rio Tinto Ltd add nearly 2% and 1%, respectively.
Healthcare stocks, which had sharply risen so far
this year on increased hospital visits and tests, traded about
0.8% lower. Ramsay Health Care Ltd was among top
losers, down 1.8%.
The number of issues on the ASX that advanced were 726 while
436 declined.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.4%
to hit a fresh peak at 12,801.43 points. Outdoor clothing
retailer Kathmandu Holdings was the top percentage
gainer, with a 3.2% rise.
(Editing by Lincoln Feast.)