Commonwealth Bank of Australia said earnings rose in its fiscal third quarter, but not by as much as analysts had expected.

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Mortgage lenders on the move included Westpac Banking, up 3.5%, while Commonwealth Bank of Australia gained 2.4%, and National Australia Bank added 2%.

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Shares in Australia's big four banks also advanced, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, ANZ and Westpac up between 0.3% and 1.2%.

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After Kelly and her family left the turbulence of apartheid South Africa for Sydney in 1997, her first job was with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, as general manager of strategic marketing.

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Financials also bounced after losses earlier in the week, with Nomura Holdings rising 4.7% and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group rising 2.7% in Tokyo, Commonwealth Bank of Australia gaining 0.8% and Chinatrust Financial Holding climbing 2.4% in Taipei.

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In the last year, there were 90, 210 first-home buyers across Australia, 35% lower than the previous year and a seven-year low, according to BankWest, a Western Australia-based lender and unit of Commonwealth Bank.

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Fitzsimmons says his fund recently has focused on financial services companies like Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie Bank and National Australia Bank in an effort to benefit from the overall prosperity of the economy, which is expected to grow 4.8% this year.

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