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Jan 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Thursday led by heavyweight financial stocks, with investors keenly awaiting a key U.S. inflation data which could sway the timeline of easing monetary policy by the Federal Reserve.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO rose 0.4% to 7,494.6 by 2354 GMT. The benchmark fell 0.7% on Wednesday.

Market participants now shift their focus to the December consumer price index report in the U.S. due to release later in the day for possible clues on when the Fed could begin cutting interest rates. MKTS/GLOB

It is expected to show that headline inflation rose 0.2% in the month and by 3.2% on an annual basis. USCPI=ECI, USCPNY=ECI

In Sydney, rate-sensitive financial sub-index .AXFJ rose 1%, with the 'Big Four' banks climbing between 0.5% and 0.9%. The sub-index touched its highest level since Feb. 14, 2023.

Netwealth Group NWL.AX, AUB Group AUB.AX and Macquarie Group MQG.AX were top gainers on the sub-index, each advancing between 1.7% and 1.6%.

Technology stocks .AXIJ tracked their overseas peers higher, by rising 1% in the green, marking the sub-index's third consecutive session of gains. Shares of Xero XRO.AX rose by 0.5%.

Australian property developers Mirvac Group MGR.AX, Dexus DXS.AX and Charter Hall Retail REIT CQR.AX advanced between 0.6% and 1%.

Healthcare stocks .AXHJ rose 0.4%. Australian biotechnology giant CSL Ltd CSL.AX jumped 0.5%, while Ramsay Health Care RHC.AX was flat.

Among other sectors heavyweight mining sub-index .AXMM dropped 0.3%, local energy stocks .AXEJ slipped 0.6%, while gold stocks .AXGD were unchanged.

Telix Pharmaceuticals TLX.AX, Weebit Nano WBT.AX and JB Hi-Fi JBH.AX topped gains on the index, rising between 2.7% and 3.3%.

Across the Tasman Sea, the New Zealand benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 was flat at 11,774.34.

Serko Ltd SKO.NZ, Investore Property IPL.NZ and Property for Industry PFI.NZ emerged as top gainers on the benchmark, advancing 2.0%, 1.7% and 1.4%, respectively.

(Reporting by Roshan Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

((Roshan.Thomas@thomsonreuters.com))

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