Iinet Limited

Australian shares rallied on Monday with gains in resources stocks helped to lift the market. The better-than-expected corporate earnings also fueled the rise. At the close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 82.4 points, or 1.8 per cent higher, at 4717.5, while the broader All Ordinaries index rose 76.4 points, or 1.6 per cent, to 4732.7.

Wall Street ended lower in light trading on Friday as reports showed weak consumer sentiment in August and an unexpected decline in July retail sales. The weak reports prompted investors to lock in gains from the recent rally.

On Friday, the Australian market closed higher, lifted by the news of a massive joint venture between mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto after Rio scrapped the takeover deal with Chinalco. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 36.6 points, or 0.93 per cent, at 3971.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 36.5 points, or 0.93 per cent, to 3969.0 points. Today the local market could be hit by lower commodities prices.