The S&P/ASX 200 rose 30.80 points, or 0.36%, to close at 8,697.70 on Monday, with Magellan Financial Group Limited and Newmont Corporation leading gains—up 4.60% and 4.49% respectively. Despite the positive session, the benchmark index remains down 0.68% over the past five trading days and sits 0.90% below its 52-week high.
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index slipped 10.20 points, or 0.30%, to 3,345.30. However, it has posted a modest 0.32% gain over the past week. There was some good news for small caps, today, particularly from International Graphite and Sovereign Metals. You can read those stories and more below.