Australian shares enjoy best quarter since late 2020

Including dividends, the ASX200 delivered a 6.4 per cent return for the first half of 2025. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

The Australian share market has finished higher to round out 2025/26 with a respectable double-digit gain for the financial year, while its quarterly performance was the best since 2020.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday finished up 28.1 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 8,542.3, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 29.4 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 8,773.0.