Nov 6 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Wednesday, tracking their peers on Wall Street, with the technology and commodity sectors leading the gains as investors braced for the outcome of a tightly fought election in the United States.

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.7% to 8,190.90 points by 2350 GMT, with all sub-indexes trading in the green. The benchmark fell 0.4% on Tuesday.

Globally, traders are tuned into a hotly-contested U.S. election as opinion polls failed to suggest a clear winner between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

In the event of Trump becoming president, his tariffs could trigger a global trade war, potentially harming Antipodean economies that depend significantly on free trade.

Back on the local bourse, the heavy-weight mining index

gained the most, as iron ore prices in top steel producer China climbed on the prospects of more stimulus measures.

Sector behemoths BHP Group , Rio Tinto and Fortescue rose between 0.4% and 1.2%.

The gold sector lodged a 0.6% rise, as prices of the precious metal edged higher on prospects of political tensions in the world's largest economy.

Evolution Mining and Northern Star Resources

rose 1.2% and 1% respectively.

Technology stocks followed suit with a 1.2% gain, as their counterparts on the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed. Accounting software provider Xero rose 1%.

The financial sector advanced 0.7%, with all the "Big Four" banks trading between 0.3% and 0.8% higher.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index reversed early losses, trading 0.2% higher to 12,681.37 points.

The country's jobless rate rose to a near four-year high in the September quarter, cementing bets of a 50-basis-point cut by the central bank later this month.

(Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; editing by Alan Barona)

((Archishma.Iyer@thomsonreuters.com))

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