The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5% to finish at 9,007 on Wednesday, marking its third-session winning run, lifted by a record high in National Australia Bank following robust first-quarter results. The country’s third largest lender NAB jumped nearly 4% to an all-time high after reporting a 16% rise in quarterly cash earnings, supported by solid performance in both business and home lending. The rally helped push the financials index about 0.6% higher to end a three-day slide. Technology stocks also climbed 2.3%, tracking overnight gains in Wall Street. Sector leader Technology One surged 8.2%, while Wisetech Global added 1.5%. Other notable gainers include BlueScope Steel, up 2.6% after SGH Ltd and US-based Steel Dynamics sweetened their A$15 billion takeover bid, while biotech giant CSL added 0.8% following a licensing agreement with Eli Lilly. Meanwhile, gold stocks mostly weighed on the index after bullion dropped on reduced safe-haven demand following easing geopolitical tensions.