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SYDNEY, May 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose to their highest in nine months on Wednesday, helped by solid gains in mining giant BHP Billiton (LON:BLT), while New Zealand stocks returned to record territory after recovering from a late-April fall.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was up 29.51 points at 5,372.30 at the close of trade after earlier rising to 5,425.2, a level last seen in August.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.51 percent, or 34.94 points, to finish the session at 6,944.34, having earlier hit an all-time high of 6,961.79.