Feb 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares advanced on Wednesday, led by gains in financials and miners as a series of earnings bolstered sentiment, while CSL plunged to log its worst session on record following its CEO's retirement announcement and a decline in first-half profit.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO rose 0.8% to 8,937.90 points at 0002 GMT. The benchmark ended flat on Tuesday.

Biotech giant CSL CSL.AX dropped as much as 18.2% to its lowest level since mid-February 2018 after it announced the departure of its chief executive officer, and reported a 7% drop in its first-half earnings.

It emerged as the top laggard on the benchmark, and also dragged the healthcare sub-index .AXHJ by as much as 6.2% to its lowest level since mid-May 2019.

A slew of corporate earnings, including strong results from heavyweights, boosted investor sentiment.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX posted record first-half cash earnings, and advanced as much as 6.7% to its highest level since November 11.

The lender was also the top gainer on the financials sub-index .AXFJ, which was up 3.1%, with the remaining three of the "Big Four" banks gaining between 1.4% and 2.9%.

Power producer AGL Energy AGL.AX rose as much as 8.3% to its highest level since early December after it narrowed its annual forecasts while reporting better-than-expected half-year profit.

ASX-listed shares of James Hardie Industries JHX.AX surged as much as 13% to their highest level since late August after the company narrowed its full-year earnings forecast and reported a quarterly profit beat.

CBA, AGL Energy and ASX-listed shares of James Hardie Industries were among the top gainers on the benchmark.

In sub-indexes, miners .AXMM and gold stocks .AXGD were up for a third consecutive session, gaining as much as 0.7% and 1%, respectively.

Energy stocks .AXEJ snapped a two-day winning streak and were down as much as 0.9% on muted oil prices. O/R

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.2% to 13,488.44 points.

(Reporting by Sherin Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

((Sherin.Sunny@thomsonreuters.com))

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