FX.co ★ Australian Shares Kick Off the Week Higher

On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 rose by 0.2% to reach 8,534, building on last week's positive momentum as investor confidence improved with alleviated worries over widespread US tariffs. President Donald Trump hinted at potential leniency ahead of the impending July 9 tariff deadline. Nonetheless, investors remain wary due to inconsistent signals from the administration, which continue to fuel uncertainty about which countries are nearing the completion of trade agreements and which discussions are facing delays. Domestically, focus shifts to upcoming Australian economic data releases later today, including the TD-MI inflation gauge and reports on housing and private sector credit. These indicators could provide additional insights into the local economy's health. Among individual stocks, Block, Inc. gained 3.9%, Macquarie Group Limited rose 1.8%, and CSL Limited increased by 1.1%. Contrarily, BHP Group Limited and Rio Tinto Limited experienced declines of 1.5% and 1.6%, respectively.