By Arundhati Dutta
April 29 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Thursday, helped by energy and gold stocks that tracked higher prices of underlying commodities, although gains were capped by a disappointing earnings report from supermarket giant Woolworths WOW.AX .
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO rose 0.15% to 7,075.6 by 0029 GMT. The index closed 0.4% higher on Wednesday.
Shares of Ansell ANN.AX were among the top gainers on the benchmark for the second day in a row, rising nearly 5%. The medical devices maker projected strong sales growth for the half year and full year on Wednesday.
The top percentage loser was Woolworths Group Ltd WOW.AX , down 3.4%, as the company signalled an end to a pandemic-powered sales boost it had enjoyed last year and said its current quarter was trading flat. stocks AXGD rose 2%, as bullion prices jumped overnight after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged GOL/
Resolute Mining RSG.AX was among the top gainers on the sub-index. The miner reaffirmed its 2021 guidance despite posting lower gold production on-quarter. energy index .AXEJ rose 0.74%, tracking Wednesday's rise in oil prices. Viva Energy Group VEA.AX led the gains on the index for a third straight day with a 2.8% rise.
The metals and mining index .AXMM rose 0.6%, helped by a more than 2% rise in gold miner Newcrest Mining NCM.AX after it beat production estimates for the quarter. Fortescue Metals Group FMG.AX was a laggard with a near 2% drop after it reported flat third-quarter iron ore shipments. other markets, S&P 500 E-minis futures EScv1 were up 15 points, or 0.36%.
In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.11% to 12,660.6. The top percentage gainers were Z Energy Ltd ZEL.NZ , up 1.97%, followed by A2 Milk Company Ltd ATM.NZ , gaining 1.86%.