* Crown Resorts top gainer on benchmark
* Energy stocks mark biggest one-day gain in over two weeks
* Insurers fall due to flash floods in Australia's east coast (Updates to close)
By Harish Sridharan
March 22 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Monday, led by gains in energy and healthcare stocks, while beleaguered casino operator Crown Resorts spearheaded gains on the benchmark index after receiving Blackstone (NYSE:BX)'s buyout offer.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO closed 0.7% higher at 6,752.5. The benchmark fell 0.6% on Friday.
Crown Resorts CWN.AX closed over 20% higher as the top percentage gainer on the benchmark, after it received a A$8.02 billion ($6.2 billion) conditional buyout proposal from U.S. private equity giant Blackstone BX.N . and leisure stocks rose, with Tabcorp TAH.AX ending the session at a 16-month high, while Aristocrat Leisure ALL.AX gained 1.5% on news of Crown's proposed buyout.
Energy stocks .AXEJ were the best performers on the index, gaining 2.8% to mark its biggest one-day gain in over two weeks.
Woodside Petroleum WPL.AX and Santos STO.AX rose 2.5% and 2.4%, respectively.
Healthcare stocks posted significant gains, driven by a 2.5% jump in sector heavyweight CSL CSL.AX .
"The healthcare sector has been suffering through COVID-19 with no real direction. So I think we are seeing a little bit of bargain hunting creeping in," said Henry Jennings, senior analyst at Marcustoday Financial newsletter.
Ramsay Health Care RHC.AX gained 2.1%, while medical device company Polynovo PNV.AX hit an over two month high.
Heavy rains along Australia's east coast over the weekend brought the worst flooding in half a century in some areas, authorities said on Sunday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and causing significant property damage. raised worries of increased claims for insurers, with Insurance Australia Group IAG.AX and QBE Insurance Group QBE.AX slumping 2.3% and 3%, respectively.
Insurer Suncorp Group SUN.AX , which has received 1,300 claims so far, said it was too early to estimate the costs from the flooding. Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 closed 1.5% lower at 12,329.09, with dairy processor Synlait Milk SML.NZ being the top loser.