Aust shares close flat

But mining, energy and consumer-related stocks were quite soft. BHP Billiton was up 0.7 percent and Rio Tinto added 1 percent.

But compared with share-market gains of about percent in the USA on Friday and in Japan early Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 index was up just 0.3 percent or 16.7 points at 5,368.3 by 0138 GMT. The benchmark has risen the past four sessions but is still down 0.8 percent for 2015.

Among the major banks, National Australia Bank was down two cents at $32.42, Westpac added 28 cents to $31.84, ANZ was steady at $28.90, and Commonwealth Bank lifted 15 cents to $77.50. Coles rival Woolworths gained 0.2 percent.

Ten Network’s full-year loss nearly doubled from the prior year on a big writedown in the value of its television license.

Insurance Australia Group said its chief strategy officer Leona Murphy will leave the company, effective December 31.

The Australian dollar hit a low of 71.98 USA cents over the weekend after the People’s Bank of China on Friday announced it was easing monetary policy in a bid to boost economic growth.

The Australian dollar moved within a narrow range as traders waited for an insight into the health of the U.S. economy from upcoming manufacturing and private sector services activity data, ThinkForex senior markets analyst Matt Simpson said.

On Wall Street, stocks on Friday extended the rally seen over the previous session, following news that China’s central bank unexpectedly lowered interest rates. While the U.K’s FTSE 100 Index advanced by 1.1 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index soared 2.5 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.

Qantas jumped 0.78 percent while Telstra is 0.09 percent weaker.