* Fortescue up 3.1% on forecast hike, bumper dividend
* CSL jumps 5% as half-year profit rises
* ANZ jumps 4.4%, hits near 1-year high
* Woodside Petroleum down 3.7% on annual profit slump (Rewrites throughout to update share movement)
Feb 18 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose marginally on Thursday after swinging between positive and negative territory, as a reversal in iron ore mining giants and strong earnings reports by blue-chip firms pushed the benchmark index higher.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was up 0.25% at 6,902.60 by 0120 GMT, after losing up to 0.14% earlier in the session.
Heavyweight mining stocks .AXMM gained up to 0.5% after declining as much as 1.6%, as top iron ore miners changed course.
Fortescue Metals Group FMG.AX jumped 3.1%, bouncing back from an earlier loss of up to 2.6% on the back of annual iron ore shipment forecast hike, strong first-half profit and a higher-than-expected interim dividend. market hours on Wednesday, Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX reported its best annual earnings since 2011 and declared a record dividend payout. Its shares rose up to 1%, after losing as much as 2.6% earlier in the session. .AXHJ was the biggest boost to the benchmark, adding 3.2% on the back of biotech firm CSL CSL.AX .
CSL shares jumped 5% after the company reported a rise in half-year profit as demand for vaccines and blood plasma products increased. .AXFJ were up 0.5%, with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX gaining as much as 4.4% to hit its highest since February last year, after it reported a rise in first-quarter profit and said it was well-positioned for the rest of the year. losers, energy stocks .AXEJ slipped 1.7%, dragged by a 3.7% drop in Woodside Petroleum WPL.AX after Australia's top independent gas producer posted a 58% slump in its annual underlying profit. conglomerate Wesfarmers WES.AX declined up to 3.1% after it warned of a moderation in retail sales growth at its Bunnings and Officeworks divisions from March. Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 gained as much as 0.9% to 12,785.68, with financials and utilities contributing the most.