AAP

Rio Tinto says it lifted third quarter iron ore shipments from its Pilbara operations by slightly more than expected on the back of an improvement in rail capacity and performance.

ANZ Banking Group will sell its superannuation and some financial planning businesses to financial services group IOOF for $975 million as it continues to weigh how best to offload life insurance.

The Australian share market has opened higher following the lead from Wall Street, where major stock indices rose overnight, with the local market now at its highest level since May.

The Australian dollar has retreated slightly against its US counterpart, despite little major news flow.

Crude prices have risen one per cent as Iraqi forces entered the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, seizing territory from Kurdish fighters and briefly cutting some crude output from OPEC's second-largest producer.

Gold has turned lower, pressured by profit-taking after extending gains above the $US1,300 mark to a three-week high amid ongoing tensions over Iran and North Korea as well as recent weak US economic data.

Strong prices for iron ore and growing global economic strength have helped propel the Australian share market to a five-month high.

Retail veteran Solomon Lew is urging Myer to prove its recent claims that the department store chain's fortunes are turning around.

Gold-focused Evolution Mining has lifted production and cut costs in the September quarter, helped by a strong performance at its Cowal mine in NSW and Ernest Henry and Mt Carlton mines in Queensland, coupled with the sale of its Edna May mine in Western Australia.

Stronger iron ore and oil prices and a positive lead from Wall Street have driven the Australian share market higher.

The Australian dollar has gained against its US counterpart, after the greenback slipped following a lower than expected US inflation report on Friday.

Oil prices on Friday closed at their highest level in October on bullish news from strong Chinese oil imports, U.S. President Donald Trump's decision not to certify that Iran is complying with a nuclear agreement and other tensions in the Middle East.

The Australian share market has closed at its highest level since June, with investors starting to find value after the local bourse suffered a period of underperforming compared with its global peers, and Chinese trade data boosting sentiment.

The number of property investors with five or more properties in Australia has spiked in recent years, adding to central bank concerns about the overheated Australian housing market.

Oil giant Chevron has shelved a $400 million plan to drill in the Great Australian Bight.

The Australian share market has opened slightly higher despite Wall Street's overnight dip. 

The Australian dollar has edged higher against its US counterpart, as the greenback drifted while investors waited on US inflation figures.

Oil prices rebounded from early losses but ended lower after the Energy Department reported a larger-than-expected decline in US inventories and a falloff in weekly production on Thursday.

Bank of Queensland has lifted its full-year cash profit 5 per cent to $378 million, delivering shareholders a surprise special dividend on stronger second-half lending growth.

The share market has overcome early falls to close higher, as Bank of Queensland's profit growth boosted the financial sector and energy producers were boosted by forecasts of stronger oil demand.

Shares in Woolworths have fallen after the supermarket giant finalised its exit from its disastrous Masters hardware venture by completing the sale of its store sites.

The Australian share market is trading a narrow range at the start, as weakness in some key sectors offsets gains in others.

Wall Street's main indexes are little changed at the open, as a jump in shares of consumer staples were offset by a drop in financials on the eve of their financial reports.

The Australian dollar is higher against its US counterpart which slipped overnight following a small fall in US treasury yields.

Oil prices have risen for the third day as OPEC forecast higher demand for 2018 and heightened tensions in Kurdistan supported prices.

The Australian share market has gained ground due to a positive lead from overseas markets, an upgrade of the International Monetary Fund's global economic growth forecasts, and stronger prices for copper and oil.

An employee and a contractor of state government-owned energy supplier Horizon Power have each been charged following an investigation by the state's corruption watchdog into allegations of serious misconduct.

Premier Mark McGowan says the Liberal Party has been grossly irresponsible by voting to block the gold royalty hike and is urging them to reverse the decision.

Vodafone has launched a new network that will reduce company costs and create greater power efficiency for businesses by wirelessly connecting millions of devices to the internet of things (IoT).

The Australian share market has opened higher, following on from solid lead in the US, with the major miners, and three of the four big banks leading the way.

The Australian share market is expected to open higher after the major US stock indices hit record highs overnight.

Oil prices rose about two per cent on Tuesday, supported by Saudi Arabian export cuts in November and comments from OPEC and trading companies that the market is rebalancing after years of oversupply.