The ASX 200 finished flat on Monday, according to Market Index, as climbing crude oil prices pulled down mining and technology shares. Losses in those sectors were offset by defensive names, with CSL and Santos (STO) providing support that kept the benchmark near its opening level.
Market Index's evening wrap framed the session as a tug-of-war: rising crude weighed on parts of the market sensitive to energy costs, while the two defensive stocks absorbed enough of the pressure to leave the index roughly unchanged. The report did not specify closing levels or percentage moves.
The dynamic reflects how oil prices can cut both ways for equities. Higher crude raises input and operating costs for miners and tech companies, but it tends to benefit energy producers — a factor that likely helped Santos hold up the index, per Market Index's account.
