Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.49% higher on Monday, led by gains in metals and mining shares, as 581 stocks advanced against 551 decliners and 385 unchanged issues.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, a measure of volatility, increased 1.23% to 10.64, reflecting modest market turbulence amid mixed sector performance.
Top performers included Paladin Energy Ltd, which surged 10.68% to 11.71, IperionX Limited, up 10.03% to 3.18, and Ansell Ltd, which rose 9.74% to 38.30 and reached a five-year high. On the downside, NIB Holdings fell 9.12% to 6.73, Chorus Ltd dropped 5.27% to 7.55—hitting a 52-week low—and Megaport Ltd declined 5.06% to 17.45.
Commodities showed divergent trends. December gold futures rose 0.40% to $4,699.31 per troy ounce, while October crude oil futures fell 1.86% to $85.44 per barrel. November Brent crude futures declined 1.62% to $91.17 per barrel.
In currency markets, the Australian dollar held steady against the U.S. dollar, with AUD/USD flat at 0.72. The AUD/JPY cross declined 0.11% to 113.89, while the U.S. Dollar Index futures fell 0.08% to 98.81.
