SYDNEY — Australian shares opened the trading week on a firmer note Monday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index climbing modestly in mid-morning trade even after overnight futures had pointed to a softer start, as investors weighed a mixed batch of corporate news, commodity moves and lingering questions about the pace of future interest rate changes.

The S&P/ASX 200 was trading at 8,855.2 points shortly before midday in Sydney, up 10.8 points, or 0.12 percent, on the previous close. The modest gain came despite SPI futures overnight signaling the index would open roughly 35 points, or about 0.4 percent, lower, a divergence that reflected shifting sentiment as the local session got underway.

The index enters the new trading week fresh off a strong finish to the previous one. On Friday, the ASX 200 surged 120 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 8,844.4, marking its best level in more than a week. That rally was driven in large part by improving sentiment around easing tensions in the Middle East, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, along with an upward revision to Australia's private-sector activity data for June and stronger U.S. stock futures heading into the Independence Day holiday.

Gold miners were among Friday's standout performers, with bullion prices rallying on softer U.S. payrolls data. Northern Star Resources jumped more than 10 percent and Evolution Mining rose nearly 9 percent, while diversified miner BHP Group added 1.6 percent. The big four banks also posted gains ranging from roughly 0.4........

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