By Anjali Singh

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares reclaimed the psychologically key 9,000-point mark on Wednesday, as a rally in banking stocks after upbeat Commonwealth Bank of Australia results overpowered losses in biotech heavyweight CSL.

The S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO ended 1.7% higher at 9,014.8, its strongest close since late October. The benchmark had slipped below the 9,000-point mark that month after a hot inflation reading dampened hopes of interest rate cuts.

Heavyweight financials .AXFJ climbed 3.8% to its highest level since early November, helped by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) CBA.AX, which rose 6.8% after reporting a record first-half cash earnings.

"CBA's bumper profits have traders positioning for similarly strong results from the other major banks, with the rising tide of its performance lifting all boats in the financial sector," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Shares of the other "Big Four" banks, National Australia Bank NAB.AX, ANZ Group ANZ.AX and Westpac WBC.AX, were up between 1.3% and 3.4%. ANZ and Westpac are set to report their results this week, while NAB is scheduled for the next.

"Earnings season is off to a sprightly start, which has taken the focus away from interest rate worries and more towards corporate growth prospects," Waterer said.

In other company news, Domino's Pizza Enterprises DMP.AX shares rose 2.9% after the pizza chain operator tapped former McDonald's MCD.N executive Andrew Gregory as its CEO.

Power producer AGL Energy AGL.AX beat first-half profit estimates and narrowed the lower end of its full-year earnings forecast, sending its shares 11.8% higher.

Biotech major CSL CSL.AX slumped 18.2% to an eight-year low following CEO Paul McKenzie's departure and a sharp drop in half-year profit.

That weighed on healthcare stocks .AXHJ which dropped as much as 6.2% to its lowest level in more than six years.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 closed 6.4 points lower at 13,507.28.

(Reporting by Anjali Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)

((anjali.singh2@thomsonreuters.com))