The ASX 200 inched higher to close at 8,737 on Monday, stabilising after four consecutive sessions of declines. Gains in consumer non-durables, commercial services, and retail trade helped support the benchmark, though advances were limited by weakness in healthcare, non-energy minerals, and manufacturing.
Bargain hunters stepped in after the index approached a near two-month low, even as broader sentiment remained cautious. U.S. equity futures retreated as oil prices spiked, following renewed Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping. Investors also turned defensive ahead of this week’s U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting and the release of August activity data from China, Australia’s largest trading partner, due on Tuesday.
Among individual names, Northern Star Resources climbed 2.5%, CSL Ltd. rose 2.7%, and Aristocrat Leisure gained 0.9%. Three of the four major banks also advanced. By contrast, heavyweight miners BHP (-0.5%) and Rio Tinto (-0.1%) slipped in line with softer iron ore and copper prices. Mineral Resources (-4.4%), Evolution Mining (-3.2%), and Lynas Rare Earths (-2.8%) were also notable underperformers.
