AAP

The price of gold has risen, partly lifted by steady flows into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a dip in the US dollar after touching seven-month highs.

The Australian dollar has continued to climb against the US dollar, which traded lower against most of the major currencies in the wake of a softer manufacturing sector report.

The Australian share market has closed lower, led downwards by casinos operator Crown Resorts, which fell 14 per cent after 18 of its employees were detained in China.

A key supporter of the federal government in the Senate, Family First's Bob Day, is quitting parliament because of financial problems with the housing group he founded, which trades as Collier Homes in Western Australia.

Shares in James Packer's casinos operator Crown Resorts have fallen sharply in the wake of China's detention of 18 Crown employees, as investors fear a crackdown on gambling in China.

The Australian share market has slipped lower in early trade as investors try to assess the impact of Federal Reserve comments and stay cautious ahead of key data this week.

Oil prices have fallen slightly as traders balance a stronger US dollar and another increase in the US oil rig count against expectations that more OPEC talk of output cuts will keep crude above $US50 per barrel.

The Australian dollar has bucked the trend and risen against the greenback.

Gold has fallen as the US dollar has risen after US economic data came in within analysts' expectations, cementing assumptions of an interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve by year-end.

The share market has ended the week with a flat performance, as inflation data from China conflicted with the previous day's disappointing trade numbers from the economic powerhouse.

The corporate watchdog is looking at how the ASX, brokers and investors operate on the share market following the exchange's September crash.

Shares in Australian furniture maker and retailer Fantastic have soared on news it has received a $361.4 million takeover offer from larger rival Steinhoff Asia Pacific, the owner of Freedom and Snooze brands.

The Australian share market is barely hanging on to early gains as investors look for positives after a gloomy day in overseas markets following weak Chinese trade data.

The Australian dollar has gained against its the greenback after disappointing Chinese trade data and a fall in US bond yields.

Oil prices have settled higher after a US government report showing hefty draws in diesel and petrol offset the first crude inventory build in six weeks.

US stocks slipped on Thursday led by falls in financial shares and following weak Chinese economic data but a late-day rebound in oil prices limited the day's decline.

Gold prices have edged higher as the US dollar declines and world shares slip following renewed worries about China's economy.

The share market has fallen as energy, resources and financial companies felt the impact of weaker than expected Chinese trade data.

Australia's largest chicken company Ingham's Group is set to list on the share market with a value of up to $1.5 billion.

The Australian share market has opened lower in the wake of a drop in oil prices and a mostly flat finish to trade on Wall Street.

Spot gold has held modest gains, after minutes from the Federal Reserve's September meeting that showed several voting policymakers judged an interest rate rise would be warranted "relatively soon" if the US economy continued to improve.

Oil prices have settled one per cent lower after OPEC reported its September oil output hit eight-year highs, offsetting optimism over the group's pledge to bring a global crude glut under control.

The Australian dollar has slipped further after the US dollar hit a fresh seven-month high overnight, continuing its recent trend.

The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average indexes ended Wednesday's session with small gains as expectations for timing on a rate hike were largely unchanged after US Federal Reserve minutes and investors waited on earnings reports.

Weaker energy and mining stocks have pulled the share market lower, despite gains by market heavyweights including Telstra and CSL.

Former Telstra chair Catherine Livingstone will takeover the chairmanship at Commonwealth Bank of Australia when David Turner retires.

Thousands of aggrieved Slater & Gordon shareholders will be represented in a $250 million-plus class action against the law firm for wrongdoing including allegedly "blindsiding" them with bad news.

The Australian share market has opened lower, with falls across the board following losses on global equity markets and lower oil and gold prices.

Gold prices have fallen as the US dollar has strengthened on increasing bets that the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates in December.

The Australian dollar is hovering at a three-week low as the US greenback found support among investors following falls in global equity markets and oil prices.

Oil prices have retreated from one-year highs, after OPEC said it was trying to reach a global agreement to cap production for at least six months amid doubts about how much that would reduce a crude glut.

Slumping crude prices and a dour start to Wall Street's corporate earnings season have pulled down US and European equities, while the dollar hit an eight-month high on increasing bets US interest rates will rise in December.