STOCKS opened stronger today as markets recovered from yesterday's late slide following North Korea's nuclear tests.
At 1015 AEST the benchmark S P/ASX200 index was up 35.1 points at 5234.2, while the all ordinaries went 34 points higher to 5196.7.
On the Sydney Futures Exchange the December share price index contract was trading 34 points higher at 5244 on a volume of 2873 contracts.
CMC Markets senior dealer James Foulsham said market leaders BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were leading the bourse higher today after yesterday's falls.
Telstra is off a little bit, continuing its slide from yesterday, but Rio and BHP look particularly strong this morning, Mr Foulsham said.
It's a bit of a recovery from yesterday with the North Korean test, everyone got a bit spooked in the afternoon but there's still not massive volumes going through.
BHP Billiton lifted 57 cents to $25.67 and Rio Tinto jumped $2.19 to $71.
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Telstra retreated five cents to $3.69 following the federal Government's prospectus launch for the sale of some of its remaining shares in the telco yesterday.
Rival telco Singapore Telecommunications, which owns Optus, was steady at $2.07.
The major banks were also stronger with National Australia Bank climbing 22 cents to $37.
48, ANZ adding 26 cents to $27.60, Commonwealth Bank pushing up 11 cents to $46.56 and Westpac rising seven cents to $23.
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Vision Systems lost 13 cents to $3.69 after yesterday's rally following US group Danaher Corporation's $700 million offer for the medical company.
Among the media stocks, News Corporation lifted 21 cents to $28.09 while its non-voting scrip added 32 cents to $27.02.
Publishing Broadcasting put on one cents to $19.61 while Fairfax reversed eight cents to $4.32.
Yesterday, Prime Minister John Howard hinted he could scrap planned media ownership reforms if he couldn't strike a compromise with dissenting National Party members.
Qantas made five cents to $3.96 and Virgin Blue was unchanged at $1.
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