The S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.49% higher on Monday, with 581 stocks advancing against 551 declines and 385 unchanged. The index’s implied volatility gauge, the S&P/ASX 200 VIX, rose 1.23% to 10.64.
Gains were led by the metals, mining and materials sectors, which offset losses in healthcare and technology. Paladin Energy led advancers with a 10.68% gain to A$11.71, followed by IperionX at A$3.18 (+10.03%) and Ansell at A$38.30 (+9.74%).
The Australian dollar held steady against the U.S. dollar, with the AUD/USD pair little changed at 0.72, while the AUD/JPY cross fell 0.11% to 113.89. The U.S. Dollar Index futures were up 0.08% at 98.81.
Commodities showed mixed performance. December gold futures rose 0.41% to $4,699.89 per troy ounce, while October crude oil futures fell 1.88% to $85.42 per barrel. November Brent crude declined 1.63% to $91.16 per barrel.
Decliners included NIB Holdings, down 9.12% to A$6.73, Chorus at A$7.55 (-5.27%) and Megaport at A$17.45 (-5.06%).
