The S&P/ASX 200 index has started the week on a positive note. At lunch the benchmark index is up 0.35% to 6,538.5 points.
Here's what has been happening on the market today:
Bank shares rise.
Australia's big four banks have started the week in a positive fashion. All four banks are pushing higher at lunch, with Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares the best performers in the group with a gain of 0.5%.
Tech shares climb.
The tech sector has followed the lead of the Nasdaq index and climbed higher on Monday. The likes of Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX: APT) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) have recorded solid gains, helping to take the S&P/ASX 200 Info Tech index 1.5% higher at lunch. The technology-focused Nasdaq index rallied 1.4% higher on Friday night.
Resolute update.
The Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG) share price has pushed higher today following the release of the gold miner's quarterly update. Total gold production for the September quarter came in at 103,201 ounces, which was 25,069 ounces higher than the June quarter. A key driver of this was the achievement of a major Syama ramp-up milestone, which saw the completion of the automation system site acceptance testing.
Best and worst performers.
The best performer on the S&P/ASX 200 index on Monday has been the Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) share price with a gain of over 5%. The investment house's shares have rallied higher despite there being no news out of it today. Going the other way, the Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX) share price is the worst performer on the index with a decline of 4.5%. This appears to be a case of profit taking after its shares stormed higher last week following a positive product update.
