Australian stocks ended firmer on Monday, overcoming a weak start to finish marginally higher on a quiet day when market players stayed mostly on the sidelines.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 13.6 points, or 0.31 per cent, at 4,409.9 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had risen 15 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 4,429.5 points. On the Sydney Futures Exchange, the September futures contract was 11 points higher at 4,395 points on turnover of 16,766 contracts.

The market opened 0.1 per cent weaker, defying a positive finish from Wall Street and stronger commodities prices during weekend offshore trading. But by noon the numbers had turned from red to green, led by rallies among the big miners, gold stocks and the consumer discretionary sector.

By the finish, almost seven stocks rose for every five that fell on a day of anaemic volumes and low turnover. The biggest mover on the S&P/ASX50 on Monday was explosives and chemicals group Orica, which ended down 5.61 per cent, or $1.44, at $24.24. Orica was down more than eight per cent in morning trade but recovered after the listing of one of its former businesses, DuluxGroup.

DuluxGroup, a paints, adhesives and garden products supplier, was hived off from Orica as part of a demerger that received court approval last Friday. Duluxgroup debuted on the ASX at $2.50 a share and hit a high of $2.78 shortly afterwards, but slid lower in the afternoon and finished at $2.54.

Among the big miners, BHP climbed 18 cents to $38.61, Rio Tinto was up 67 cents at $68.77, while Fortescue Metals skipped ahead three cents to $4.46. The spot price of gold in Sydney was $1,209.00 per fine ounce, up $11.40 from Friday's close of $1,197.60. Among gold stocks, Newcrest Mining advanced 67 cents to $34.98, while Lihir Gold gained 10 cents to $4.33.

Local banks finished mixed. ANZ rose four cents to $22.43, NAB ended up 21 cents at $24.25 and Westpac closed 12 cents higher at $22.32. CBA eased 24 cents to $49.56 and investment bank Macquarie Group dropped five cents to $39.60. In the news on Monday, surfwear retailer Billabong said it was buying progressive clothing brand in California, RVCA, for an undisclosed amount.

Billabong stock shed seven cents to $9.03. Drugs maker and distributor Sigma Pharmaceuticals has offered to work with suitor Aspen Pharmacare to get a better offer for the company.

Sigma ended steady at 45.5 cents Mirrabooka Investments said it expected the Australian share market to gain another 10 per cent by December if China's growth trajectory remained intact and Europe's banks delivered healthy test scores.

Mirrabooka closed down three cents at $1.72. The most traded stock by volume was Empire Oil and Gas, with 59.98 million securities traded for $618,615. Empire ended up 0.2 cents at 1.1 cent.

On Monday, the company announced production test results from its Gingin West facility in Western Australia. Preliminary market turnover was 1.53 billion shares worth $3.39 billion, with 568 stocks up, 411 down and 306 unchanged.

The Australian dollar was lower late in Asia Monday, hurt by a stronger U.S. dollar and on weaker than expected Chinese import numbers released over the weekend.

Economic data will continue to steer sentiment for the coming week with gross domestic product and inflation numbers due for release in China and retail sales due in the U.S., while America's corporate earnings season also kicks off.

The Australian dollar was quoted at $0.8733, down from $0.8773 late Friday. Against the Japanese yen, the Australian dollar was recently at 77.635 from 77.675.

Provided by Morrison Securities