The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) finished Monday's trading session down 0.9%, bringing to an end a five-day winning streak.
Despite the market wide fall, there were a handful of stocks which bucked the trend…
Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) benefitted from improved investor sentiment with the stock finishing the day up 5.3%. The shares have now rallied over 30% in the past three months and this has some investors pondering if the bottom of the resources cycle has now passed. The rally in Fortescue's share price will have been particularly pleasing for founder Andrew Forrest whose fortune has plunged from over $9 billion to around $2.5 billion in the last decade.
Also in the commodity sector, coal miner New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) gained 5.8% to finish the session at $2.01. The stock is now well off its 52-week low of $1.60 having gained nearly 18% in the past month. The share price rally has been sparked by the announced acquisition of Rio Tinto Limited's (ASX: RIO) 40% interest in the Bengalla thermal coal mine.
Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) also bucked the market's down trend to end 3.6% higher – in comparison its supermarket peers Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) both fell. Metcash's shares have found support since the end of last month when management held an 'Investor Day Briefing' with the stock gaining around 30% since then.
Freelancer Ltd (ASX: FLN) is a tech darling which gained 3.3% on Monday also despite any company specific news. The group, which provides freelancing, outsourcing and crowdsourcing marketplaces has seen its share price rise around 140% year-to-date.
