At 16:15pm (AEST), the benchmark S&P/ASX200 was up 7.3 points, or 0.19 per cent, at 3824.6, while the broader All Ordinaries added 8.3 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 3808.9.
Macquarie Private Wealth adviser Helen Spencer said the market managed to edge higher late in the day on the back of gains in the resources sector.
"After a fairly soft lead form the US it was fairly directionless today," Ms Spencer said.
"We spent most of the day on the back foot, just in negative territory, but into the close we're pushing a bit higher just to push us into the red, helped a lot by a stronger resource sector.
"Gold stocks also faired very well ... on a bit of interest in the sector helped by a higher gold price."
Rio Tinto gained $1.02, or 1.6 per cent, to $64.79 and BHP Billiton added 34 cents, or 1 per cent, to $34.20.
Lihir Gold rose nine cents to $3.03, Newcrest Mining was up $1.77 at $31.27 and Newmont Mining Group lifted six cents to $5.70.
At 16:20 AEST the spot price of gold in Sydney was $US927.70 per fine ounce, up $US5.75 on Tuesday's local close of $US921.95.
Financial stocks ended mixed.
NAB gained one cent to $22.02, Commonwealth Bank rose five cents to $36.20, Westpac lost 37 cents to $19.69 and ANZ dropped two cents to $15.55.
"There was light volumes as investors were still absorbing recent data that is still mixed, but confidence seems to be holding up relatively well," Ms Spencer said.
Making news, James Hardie Industries NV posted a 44 per cent drop in full year operating profit due to a severe housing downturn in the United States.
James Hardie shares added 11 cents, or 2.51 per cent, to $4.50.
Agribusiness ABB Grain cut its annual profit guidance after a writedown of stock values and fall in global fertiliser prices dragged down its first half result.
ABB shares rose 15 cents, or 1.74 per cent, to $8.75.
Rival AWB expects a better second half after its interim profit plunged over 60 per cent on dry weather, weak demand, and a poor performance in Brazil.
AWB shares dropped 12 cents, or 11.27 per cent, to 94.5 cents.
Brewer Lion Nathan said it was well placed to thrive after a robust beer market helped it deliver a strong first half net profit.
Lion Nathan shares gained one cent to $11.69.
On the Sydney Futures Exchange, the June share price index contract was 15 points lower at 3829 on a volume of 20,456 contracts.
