As it happened: Iron ore helps ASX start October with 1% gain

Summary

• The ASX200 finished 1% higher on Thursday at 5872.9 and earlier rose by as much as 1.7% as iron ore miners benefited from higher bulk metal prices
• Hopes of a US stimulus deal also helped boost wider market sentiment. US futures were up 0.5% near 4pm AEST.
• Melbourne and Sydney house values continued to slide through September but there are signs a shortage of homes on the market is supporting prices across the country
• Mesoblast is in a trading halt as investors await news on whether the company’s flagship product, Ryoncil, will be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration