Shares lift as weaker dollar helps miners Local shares rose on Monday as a falling dollar and stronger commodity prices attracted offshore investors to blue chip Australian stocks, as the biggest banks and miners all lifted. On Monday, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index added 32.7 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 5356.8, while at the local close, the dollar was buying US88.6¢, down from US89.02¢ at Friday's close. The market's gains were achieved despite low trading volumes due to the holiday season. "The fact that the Aussie dollar has pulled back to a level not seen in a long time is likely to be bringing some international money back in to large cap stocks," RBS Morgans private client adviser Craig Walker said. A higher dollar is one reason our market has lagged its northern hemisphere counterparts in recent months. Telstra rose 0.2 per cent at $5.26, while the big four banks were all higher. Commonwealth Bank of Australia rose 0.5 per cent to $77.67, while National Australia Bank added 0.4 per cent to $34.84. Westpac Banking Corporation climbed 0.7 per cent to $32.32, and ANZ Banking Group gained 0.2 per cent at $32.21. Metals and mining was the best-performing sector, up 1.1 per cent, despite news that many producers are battening down the hatches and halting production. Cape Lambert and Dampier ports, used by Rio Tinto, as well as Port Hedland, used by BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals, stopped loading on Sunday as intensifying tropical cyclone Christine was forecast to hit the coast late on Monday. But Mr Walker said Cyclone Christine was unlikely to pose any significant threat to productivity. Whatever production is lost by shutting down for a few days will be able to be made up once the storm passes, BHP Billiton gained 1.3 per cent at $38.02, while Rio Tinto added 1 per cent to $68 after the spot price of iron ore, landed in China, jumped to $US134 a tonne. Fortescue Metals Group rose 1.9 per cent to $5.85 despite news surface mining operations at its Christmas Creek mine in the Pilbara have been suspended after one man died and another was injured while performing maintenance in the heavy-vehicle workshop. Guildford Coal gained 1.2 per cent at 8.3 cents as the company announced it will save $2.2 million having renegotiated an agreement made in 2012 to buy a 51 per cent share in the Springsure coal asset. In other coal industry news on Monday Jameson Resources rose 2.1 per cent to 24.5 cents as it had two new coal mining licenses approved for its Dunlevy tenure in British Columbia, while Stanmore Coal lost 2.6 per cent to 18.5 cents as it received $680, 000 in exploration funding from Japanese company Taiheiyo Kouhatsu and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation for its Belview coking coal project in Queensland. Mirabela Nickel entered a trading halt before the market opened to announce it has it secured a $US45 million temporary refinancing deal from a consortium of lenders. Shares last traded at 1.6 cents. Engineering contractor Forge Group was the best-performing soaring 54.6 per cent to $1.59 as it received formal notification to proceed with phase three work on building an iron ore processing facility at the Roy Hill mine near Newman Western Australia. The value of the project to Forge Group is $830 million. Leighton Holdings dipped 0.9 per cent to $16.11. The contractor agreed to pay $US99 million to wholly acquire its Indian joint venture Leighton Welspun. Woodside Petroleum was up 0.2 per cent at $39.17. Buru Energy climbed 7.3 per cent to $1.76 as it reported the Ungani 2 oil well is producing strongly and a contract has been finalised to export the first 40, 000 barrels of crude oil into the Asian market. Orora, the packaging and distribution company recently was spun out of Amcor, was the worst-performing stock, down 4.2 per cent at $1.15.