[BENGALURU] Australian shares started the week on firm footing on Monday, tracking Wall Street gains and with miners and energy stocks leading the rally as stronger-than-expected US jobs growth eased concerns about the world's largest economy.
"Aussie stocks have got positive momentum at the moment. It's not just about the US jobs numbers. The optimism around US-China trade talks is also an important factor for the good gains this morning," said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets.Prominent among the gainers Down Under were mining stocks with the red-hot iron ore prices continuing to bolster the sector against the backdrop of global supply concerns for the steel-making raw material.
Oil and gas explorer Beach Energy Ltd tacked on 2.5 per cent and oil services firm WorleyParsons Ltd added 2.2 per cent to be among the top percentage gainers on the energy sub-index.