ASX 200 climbs to 8,780 as miners rally on falling oil prices

Australia's ASX 200 index rose approximately 0.8% to around 8,782 points on Monday, led by a 1.6% gain in resources stocks and a 1.5% rise in banks, building on last week's gains. The miner rally was driven by falling oil prices, which eased inflation fears, rather than safe-haven demand. Spot gold climbed above $4,200 an ounce for a third straight session, rebounding from a two-month low, as hopes of resumed Russian diesel supplies reduced concerns about fuel shortages. BHP rose 2.4% and South32 gained 2.5%, contributing to the Aussie Materials Strategy's 19.01% return for 2026, outperforming its benchmark by 5.40 percentage points. Eight of the strategy's ten holdings are up month-to-date.