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SYDNEY, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Australian shares staged a comeback on Wednesday as a rally in bank stocks offset a slide by resource stocks rooted in heavy losses in commodity prices overnight.
After trading lower in the morning, the S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO reversed course mid-session to close up 14.9 points or 0.3 percent at 5,133.1. On Tuesday, the benchmark jumped 2.3 percent.
Global miner BHP Billiton (L:BLT) BHP.AX fell nearly 3 percent to A$19.81, its first close below A$20 in a decade.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 12.2 points or 0.2 percent to finish the session at 5,979.8.