The S&P/ASX 200 rose 1% to 8,496 on Monday, rebounding from a sharp decline in the previous week as markets looked ahead to a key inflation update due later this week. On Wednesday, Australia will release its first “complete” monthly CPI, which will serve as the new inflation target for the Reserve Bank of Australia when setting monetary policy. Financial stocks were among the gainers, with Westpac Banking Corporation advancing 1% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia rising 0.7%, while Macquarie Group edged 0.2% higher after submitting a bid to acquire Qube Holdings Ltd. Mining giants strengthened as well amid a rebound in copper prices, with Rio Tinto climbing nearly 2%, Fortescue gaining 0.7%, and BHP Group adding 0.5%. Separately, BHP Group announced that it is no longer considering a potential combination with rival Anglo American Plc. In contrast, notable losers included Northern Star Resources (-4%), Goodman (-3.6%), and Block (-2.1%).