Australian shares rose 0.8 per cent on Monday, with financial firms leading gains following a solid performance by U.S. financial stocks at the end of last week, though miners retreated on a fall in base metals prices.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 39.9 points at 5,026.1, based on the latest available data. The index broke through the 5,000 barrier for the first time since July 28. Last week it gained 1.7 per cent.