* Miners, energy firms lead gains
* Higher bond yields hurt defensive shares
* NZ exchange posts a small gain (Updates to close)
June 27 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended higher on Thursday, lifted by commodity and energy-related stocks, though trading volumes were light as many investors kept to the sidelines before this weekend's Group of 20 meeting in Japan.
Global financial markets hope for a thaw in testy United States-China relations when the presidents of the world's two biggest economies meet in Osaka on Saturday.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO , snapping a two-day losing streak, rose 0.4% to 6,666.30. The benchmark slipped 0.3% on Wednesday.
Mining and energy shares drove Thursday's gains after the prices of major commodities such as oil and copper overnight hit their highest levels in weeks. MET/L O/R
The mining sub-index .AXMM gained 1.8%, reaching its highest level in nearly eight years.
Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX and BHP Group BHP.AX ended the day 3.0% and 1.9% higher, respectively, after Dalian iron ore prices surged on Thursday, ending a three-day losing streak. IRONORE/
The energy sub-index .AXEJ was 1.1% higher.
Financial stocks .AXFJ rose 0.6%, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX , the country's biggest lender, adding 1 percent.
Earlier in the day, CBA said it would review its handling of customer data as part of an agreement with Australia's information commissioner after the bank admitted to losing records in the past. in defensive stocks capped gains on the main index after less aggressive signals from the Federal Reserve and hopes of progress in Sino-U.S. relations pushed up U.S. Treasury yields. The yield on Aussie papers also edged up on Thursday.
Real estate stocks Cromwell Property Group CMW.AX , Charter Hall Retail REIT CQR.AX and Stockland Corp SGP.AX were the day's biggest decliners, down in a range of 4.5%-7.6%.
The healthcare index fell 0.3%, as did sub-index heavyweight CSL Ltd CSL.AX giving away equally.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 ended 0.2% higher at 10,431.22.
Shares of Auckland International Airport AIA.NZ , up 2.2%, were the top gainers, followed by Genesis Energy 's GNE.NZ 2% advance.