ASX 200 soars past 5,800: 11 shares you should have been watching

Local shares soared again today, continuing their strong start to 2017.

Here's a quick recap:

• S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) up 0.9% to 5807 points
• ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO) up 0.8% to 5857 points
• AUD/USD at US 73.08 cents
• Iron Ore at US$76.25 a tonne, according to the Metal Bulletin
• Gold at US$1,174.34.88 an ounce
• Brent oil at US$56.85 a barrel

The benchmark ASX 200 index closed above 5,800 points for the first time since mid-2015 today, aided by the major banks.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) all rose between 1.3% and 1.7%. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) also lifted 1.2%.

The miners acted as a drag, however, after iron ore slipped. Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) fell 3.8% and 1.3%, respectively.

The gold miners mostly struggled. EVOLUTION FPO (ASX: EVN) dropped 0.9% and Silver Lake Resources Limited. (ASX: SLR) fell 3.4%.

Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX: SRX) shares gained 1.7%. It announced late in the session that first-half dose sales grew 5.6%.

Legal eagle Slater & Gordon Limited (ASX: SGH) soared 21.3%, and Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) gained 4.4%.

Here are Monday's top stories:

1. ASX 200 charges past 5,800 points: Is the time right to buy?
2. 1 obvious reason to own Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares in 2017
3. Dividend Bonanza: 3 high-yield companies paying you more than 7%
4. 3 blue chip shares that I would buy today
5. Why the PUSHPAY FPX NZX share price soared today
6. Dow Jones hits 19,999: Is the S&P/ASX 200 set to boom in 2017?