AAP

The company behind the Australian Securities Exchange believes it has found the global 'sweet spot' for attracting companies to list on the local market.

Grain co-operative CBH Group has been ordered to pay more than $40,000 after insufficient guarding on machinery led to a worker being so badly injured she had to have one finger amputated.

Adventure gear retailer Kathmandu's annual profit has risen 13.5 per cent, thanks to strong sales, innovative products and cost cuts.

The Australian market has opened slightly higher, with investors seemingly shrugging off the risk aversion shown in Wall Street's negative lead.

Oil prices have soared more than three per cent, with Brent hitting its highest in more than two years, after major producers said the global market was on its way to rebalancing, while Turkey threatened to cut oil flows from Iraq's Kurdistan region toward its ports.

Gold prices have risen, reversing earlier losses as geopolitical risks drove safe-haven buying.

The Australian share market has broken a three-day losing streak as some buyers returned to the market despite negative overseas leads, however volumes were muted with no strong theme directing trading.

Talks between Seven West Media and regional broadcaster Prime over combining their assets into a single media company have ended with the two unable to come to an agreement.

The Australian share market has rebounded and is solidly higher a day after hitting a seven-month low.

Oil prices have settled nearly flat on the eve of a meeting of major oil-producing countries in Vienna to discuss whether they will extend production limits that have helped reduce the global crude glut.

Gold has fallen about one per cent to its lowest in nearly four weeks, shrugging off further weakness in the US dollar, after the Federal Reserve signalled it was on track to raise US interest rates again in December.

A third straight day of falls has taken the Australian share market to its lowest level in more than seven months.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has sold its trans-Tasman life insurance businesses, CommInsure Life and Sovereign Assurance, for $A3.8 billion ($4.15 billion) to global insurer AIA Group.

Seven Group Holdings has raised $375 million to help it buy the remainder of equipment hire company Coates Hire, and plans to tap investors for a further $25 million.

The Australian market has opened slightly lower, ignoring a positive lead from Wall Street overnight as markets reacted to the prospect of a US rate hike later this year.

The Australian dollar is still above 80 US cents despite slipping a little against greenback after the US central bank released its statement following its two-day policy meeting.

Oil prices have lifted two per cent despite a rise in US crude inventories, with the market heading for its largest third-quarter gain in 13 years after the Iraqi oil minister said OPEC and its partners were considering extending or deepening output cuts.

Gold prices have fallen one per cent after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged but signalled it still expected to raise interest rates by year-end.

The share market recovered most of the ground lost in a poor start to the day but has still closed marginally lower, as weaker iron ore prices weighed on the mining sector.

The state government is considering enforcing a floor price on takeaway booze to stop people getting drunk on cheap alcohol, but the opposition says it is a cost impost on households and red tape burden on businesses.

The competition watchdog has expressed concern that big four bank profits are being boosted by regulation rather than the lenders' own performance.

Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings has announced it will buy the remaining half of its stake in equipment hire company, Coates Hire, for $517 million.

BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie has seen his annual pay more than double in FY17 after his short term incentive payments (STI) were restored during the year.

Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder landed a $12.1 million pay packet in his final full year in charge of the Coles and Bunnings operator, while BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie also lifted his total income, but he remained a long way short of the Perth businessman.

The Australian market has opened weaker with falls across most sectors as investors wait for the outcome of the two-day US Federal Reserve policy meeting.

The Australian dollar has followed US stocks higher as as investors stayed away from making major bets ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting.

Oil prices ended lower on Tuesday, retreating from near five-month highs ahead of a meeting between key oil producers on the outlook for further supply cuts.

Gold rose from the previous day's two-week low as the US dollar slipped ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting that is expected to provide more clues on the pace of US monetary tightening.

The Australian share market has closed higher as investors rotate from the mining sector into the big banks as expectations of interest rate hikes strengthen.

The consumer watchdog says some car manufacturers could be breaching Australian consumer law by leaving dealers high and dry over customer complaints.

Shares in TPG Telecom have soared after the fourth-ranked internet player beat its earnings forecast and delivered a 9 per cent lift in full-year profit.

Shares in Australia's biggest cattle exporter, Wellard, have surged after the company agreed terms for its long-awaited first shipment of beef cattle to China.