Materials and energy shares have helped investors scrape gains together on the ASX. -AAP Image
Investors have mostly mining and energy shares to thank after the ASX defied a downbeat US lead.
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The market closed a little higher on Thursday, largely due to mining shares which benefited from an increasing iron ore price.
BHP and Rio Tinto each gained about three per cent. Fortescue rose by about four per cent.
Energy shares were next best although well behind materials shares.
Most share categories, including the heavyweight financials, were lower.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed up 9.9 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 7,342.4 points.
The All Ordinaries index closed higher by 12.3 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 7,668.9 points.
The Australian dollar was buying 72.31 US cents at 1623 AEDT, higher from 71.88 US cents at Wednesday's close.
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