The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7% to 8,682 on Monday, rebounding from losses in the previous week as strong gains in materials stocks lifted the market. Mining heavyweights were among the standout performers, with BHP Group advancing 1.5%, Rio Tinto rising 1.2%, and Fortescue gaining 1.9%. Gold stocks also outperformed, with Newmont Corporation jumping nearly 4%, Northern Star Resources adding 3.2%, and Evolution Mining rising 2.3%. The rally followed a strengthening of commodity prices, driven by growing expectations of US interest rate cuts and elevated geopolitical tensions. Elsewhere, Droneshield surged 5.4% after its board announced a mandatory minimum shareholding policy in response to investor backlash over a series of high-profile divestments by the company’s top leadership. Meanwhile, investors will focus on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s meeting minutes, to be released tomorrow, for clues on the central bank’s policy outlook and its assessment of inflationary pressures.
