AAP

The Australian share market has opened more than half a per cent higher in the wake of a positive lead from US markets and confidence among investors.

Wall Street has climbed as telecom stalwarts AT&T and Verizon gained and bank shares added to their torrid post-election rally, helping the Dow set another record closing high.

The Australian dollar is nearly flat with traders taking a breather ahead of the release of Australian GDP figures and next week's US interest rates meeting.

Oil prices overnight ended lower for the first time in a week since OPEC agreed to cut output on growing scepticism that the cartel would be able to reduce supplies as data showed record high production in most major export regions.

Gold hovered near 10-month lows on Tuesday as the market braced for an increase in US interest rates this month and anticipated more monetary tightening next year.

Australian shares have held on to positive territory on Tuesday after riding an early boost from a record close on Wall Street.

The Reserve Bank of Australia is expecting a negative blip in economic growth at the end of this year but is not overly concerned about it.

Gas and power retailer Origin Energy has outlined a scaled-back version of its long-anticipated plan to split the company's major businesses.

The Australian share market is higher in early trade, bouncing back from Monday's losses as investors follow the lead in European and US markets overnight.

The Australian dollar has risen against its US counterpart as investors await the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate announcement and economic outlook commentary.

US crude futures strengthened Monday before retreating in post-settlement trade as the market lost confidence OPEC cuts would be sufficient to reduce oversupply given increased US drilling.

Gold fell to its lowest price in 10 months as global equities strengthened and investors shrugged off worries of political instability in Italy, while US Treasury yields rose after US economic data.

The share market has closed lower with most sectors in negative territory led by a heavy sell-off among the big four banks.

National Australia Bank and Westpac have raised interest rates on certain types of mortgages as Australia's biggest lenders seek to offset some of the pressure on their margins.

Shares in DUET Group have jumped 16 per cent after the energy utility operator confirmed it has received an indicative and conditional takeover offer from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing's Cheung Kong Infrastructure.

The Australian share market has slipped lower in early trade as investors brace for fresh uncertainty sparked by exit poll results from the Italian referendum on constitutional reforms.

Gold edged higher on Friday, climbing for the first time in four sessions as it shrugged off data showing rising US job numbers, with analysts saying that an expected rise in interest rates had already been priced in.

The Australian dollar has risen against the US dollar as the greenback gives up some of its post-election gains.

Oil prices rallied for their best week in at least five years on Friday, steadying above $US51 a barrel, following OPEC's decision to cut crude output to rein in a global glut that has weighed on prices for more than two years.

The share market ended the week with a fall of 1 per cent, with investors cautious ahead of the release of US jobs data and Sunday's Italian constitutional referendum.

Staff at Perth's ageing Princess Margaret Hospital are said to be under strain as maintenance work slows and supplies run low in anticipation of the move to the long-delayed new children's hospital.

The federal government is on the brink of striking a deal with Western Australia to let the state run the National Disability Insurance Scheme locally.

Jetstar will stop automatically adding extras such as travel insurance to its customers' online bookings, as Australia's consumer watchdog looks to prevent travellers from paying unnecessary costs.

Graincorp's biggest shareholder, Archer Daniels Midland, has sold its 19.9 per cent stake in the Australian grain merchant for about $387 million, three years after its failed $3.4 billion takeover bid.

The Australian share market is slightly lower in early trade, after a mixed end from Wall Street overnight and a continued push in oil prices.

A sharp decline in technology stocks pulled both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 indexes into the red on Thursday, while the Dow managed to notch a record closing high with a lift from bank and energy shares.

Gold hit its lowest since February on Thursday, extending losses after its biggest monthly decline in more than three years, as a surge in oil prices boosted bond yields, denting interest in non-yielding gold as an alternative investment.

The Australian dollar is flat against the greenback, which lost ground as oil prices continued to rally on the back of OPEC's agreement to cut oil production.

Oil prices surged 4 per cent on Thursday, with Brent crude at its highest in about 16 months, extending gains after OPEC and Russia agreed to restrict output to reduce the global supply glut more quickly.

The Australian share market has jumped more than 1 per cent, driven by a surge in energy stocks after the world's leading oil producers agreed to cut oil production for the first time in eight years.

he Australian share market has kicked off with gains in early trade as investors cheer an agreement between the world's largest oil exporters to cut output for the first time in eight years.

The Australian dollar has dropped more than three quarters of a cent against a US dollar that has surged on positive economic data.