Local shares exploded today as investors continue to discount the likelihood of Britons voting to leave the European Union this week. The vote could still go either way, but the odds of a Brexit appear to have diminished slightly in recent days.
Here's a quick recap:
- S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) up 1.8% to 5256 points
- ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO) up 1.7% to 5335 points
- AUD/USD at US 74.43 cents
- Iron Ore at US$51.05 a tonne, according to the Metal Bulletin
- Gold at US$1,284.53 an ounce
- Brent oil at US$49.70 a barrel
The banks were a big factor behind today's strong rally. All four banks rose at least 2.7%, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) up an impressive 3% and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) up 2.8%.
The miners were on fire, too. BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP), Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) all rose between 4.4% and 9.6% on the soaring oil price, while Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) gained 3.2%.
The gold miners weren't so lucky. Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) dropped 2.5% and Beadell Resources Limited (ASX: BDR) fell 6%.
Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) was one of the worst performers for the day, shedding 12.5%. Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB), on the other hand, gained 11.8%.
Here are Monday's top stories:
