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The Australian share market has opened higher following gains on Wall Street on Friday and higher commodity prices.
At 1015 AEST, the benchmark SP/ASX200 was up 8.03 points, or 0.21 per cent, at 3826, while the broader All Ordinaries had gained 9.32 points, or 0.24 per cent, at 3822.6 points.
On the Sydney Futures Exchange, the June share price index contract was 27 points higher to 3826 on a volume of 6,031 contracts.
Stronger metals prices saw most resources stocks begin in positive territory.
Mining giant BHP Billiton was up 14 cents to $34.80, while rival Rio Tinto gained 93 cents to $65.47.
Oil stocks also posted gains as oil prices soared toward seven-month highs on further signs of economic recovery and a weaker US dollar.
Santos added one cent to $14.61 and Oil Search lifted eleven cents to $5.57.
Woodside Petroleum said on Monday it is looking to use the Port of Broome in Western Australia as a service hub for its Browse Basin liquefied natural gas (LNG) development.
Woodside shares added 35 cents to $43.70.
On Wall Street on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 96.53 points, or 1.15 per cent, to 8,500.33.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 22.54 points, or 1.29 per cent, to 1,774.33 and the broad-market Standard Poor's 500 index added 12.31 points, or 1.36 per cent, to 919.14.
Shaw Stockbroking senior dealer Jamie Spiteri said a stronger Australian dollar had affected many stocks.
'Things are a bit subdued this morning,' he said.
'The impact of the Aussie dollar up above 80 cents US is probably stifling some of the gains we were anticipating across the market.'
Accelerated activity at the end of last week to close out the month of May also was diluting movements on Monday, Mr Spiteri said.
'Our market did close relatively solidly for the month of May and I think here today the market's failing to attract too much in new activity.'
The major banks were mixed.
Commonwealth Bank added 13 cents to $35.27, but Westpac was down 19 cents to $18.68, ANZ dropped 13 cents to $15.77 and National Australia Bank fell four cents to $21.98.
At 1031 AEST, the spot price of gold in Sydney was $US976.90 per fine ounce, up $US10.30 on Friday's local close of $US966.60.
Gold miners were mixed, with Newmont Mining up two cents to $6.00, Lihir Gold down four cents to $3.23, and Newcrest Mining up 29 cents to $33.25.
Making news on Monday, grocery and liquor merchant Metcash has posted a 2.55 per cent lift in annual net profit and says it expects no weakening in its core grocery market in the months ahead.
Metcash shares were steady at $4.18.
Hutchison shares also were steady, at 13 cents, after the competition watchdog approved its merger with fellow telco Vodafone Australia late on Friday.
Among other telcos, Telstra had gained three cents to $3.14 and Optus parent Singapore Telecommunications was steady at $2.61.
The top traded stock by volume at 1035 AEST was Excalibur Mining, with 55.65 million shares traded worth $1.026 million.
Its shares were up 0.4 cent, or 26.67 per cent, at 1.9 cents.
National turnover was 406 million shares, worth $672.5 billion, with 405 stocks up, 255 down and 240 unchanged.
