AAP

The possibility of Donald Trump winning the US presidency continues to unnerve investors but bargain-hunters pushed the Australian market to a flat close after a poor start on Thursday.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver says he's excited to take on the Australian chain of restaurants that bear his name after the collapse of their previous owner.

The state election next year looks set to be a close one, with two polls this week showing conflicting shifts in popularity among the major parties.

ANZ Banking Group's full-year cash profit dropped 18 per cent to $5.89 billion following a big hit from restructuring charges, and the bank is looking at further streamlining its business.

The Australian share market has opened lower following negative leads from European and US markets overnight and a further drop in oil prices.

The Australian dollar on the back of higher commodity prices as a risk-averse mood about the US presidential election weighs on greenback.

Oil prices have tumbled three per cent after a record weekly build in US crude inventories stoked investor worries about a global supply glut, days after analysts estimated higher monthly OPEC crude output.

Gold has rallied to a one-month high, as uncertainty over the outcome of the US election knocks stocks and the US dollar lower, but bullion pared gains slightly after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady as expected.

Concerns about the impacts of a win by Republican candidate Donald Trump in the upcoming US election have unnerved investors and pushed Australian shares to a six-week low.

Virgin Australia has joined rival Qantas in announcing a tough start to the year, with soft demand pushing the number two carrier to a first-quarter loss.

The Australian share market has continued its downward momentum in early trade, as it takes cues from declines across US and European markets overnight.

The Australian dollar is trading flat after global risk appetite declined overnight, largely due to jitters ahead of the US election.

Oil has settled lower after hitting one-month lows, ahead of data likely to show a US crude inventory build and on renewed doubts about whether OPEC will follow through with proposed output cuts.

Gold, silver and platinum have rallied to one-month highs as concerns over the outcome of the US election sparks losses in stocks and the US dollar, prompting investors to seek out precious metals as a haven from risk.

The Australian share market has closed lower as cautious investors await the US Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates later this week and the result of the US presidential election on November 8.

A protest group has been ordered to pay the legal costs of its Supreme Court action against the contentious Roe 8 highway extension project.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has held its benchmark interest rate at 1.5 per cent, saying the current rate is right to meet its forecasts for sustainable growth and inflation.

North Fremantle-based Carnegie Wave Energy plans to change its name to Carnegie Clean Energy after its $13 million acquisition of solar and battery microgrid developer Energy Made Clean.

The Australian share market has reversed the previous session's gains in early trade with investors wary ahead of key local and overseas economic data.

Oil prices have settled at one-month lows after dropping more than three per cent on doubts about OPEC's ability to implement its planned production cuts, with the market further weighed by expectations that the cartel had record output in October.

The Australian dollar is fractionally lower against the greenback following mixed US economic data and as investors await the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate decision.

Wall Street has ended barely changed as investors digested the latest large-scale corporate mergers as well as the most recent twist in a tumultuous US presidential election.

Gold has steadied, coming off lows as the US dollar pared gains, though concerns over the outlook for the US election and Federal Reserve policy kept the metal pinned near the previous session's near-four-week high.

Gains from the major miners and the big four banks' rise from a flat start have driven the Australian share market higher.

Qantas is facing a bumpy year as international airlines cut air fares to attract customers, just two months after the airline delivered a record annual underlying profit.

Rio Tinto has agreed to sell its its stake in the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea to partner Chinalco, setting the stage for a sizeable new competitor.

ANZ Banking Group will take a $265 million hit after agreeing to sell its retail and wealth business in five Asian countries to Singapore's DBS bank.

The Australian share market is flat in early trade, with investors a little nervous ahead of the US presidential election on November 8 and awaiting any indication of a potential lift in US interes

Oil prices has settled below $US50, marking their biggest weekly loss in six weeks, on concerns OPEC will not fully carry out a planned output cut, even as data showed US oil drillers removed rigs from production for the first time since June.

The Australian dollar is down just slightly on the back of stronger-than-expected US gross domestic product data.

Gold has risen one per cent to the highest level in nearly four weeks, extending gains late in the session after the FBI said it will further investigate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email system.

A sharp drop by AMP has contributed to a third straight day of falls for the share market and capped its worst week in four months.