Australia: Shares rally to a 2-month high, NZ touches record

[SYDNEY] Australian shares surged to a two-month high on Monday, notching up gains for a sixth straight session, led by a strong rally in banks and resource counters.

The S&P/ASX 200 index added 52.79 points, or 1.04 per cent, to 5,142.81 at the close of trade. After a sombre start to 2016, the benchmark last week rallied 4.3 per cent, the largest weekly gain since October.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index ended nearly unchanged at 6,418.13 points after hitting a record 6,426.57 earlier in the day.

REUTERS