OREANDA-NEWS. February 17, 2015. Australian shares edged up near seven-year highs on Monday, buoyed by gains in energy and mining sectors, though New Zealand shares went down on weakness in financials and utilities.

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 11.2 points, or 0.2 percent, at 5,888.7, a whisker away from Friday's 7-year peak of 5,893.5.

New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index eased 0.5 percent or 28.2 points to finish the session at 5,758.24.