AAP

The Australian share market has closed higher for only the second time this year after key economic data from China met expectations.

Mining services company Sedgman expects to sharply boost first-half profit and has pledged a special dividend for shareholders, as it seeks to fend off a takeover bid from construction giant CIMIC Group.

Mining giant Rio Tinto shipped 11 per cent more iron ore in 2015, helped by the expansion of its Pilbara infrastructure, but has narrowly fallen short of its full-year guidance of 340 million tonnes.

Clive Palmer's ailing nickel business doesn't currently have the cash to pay out sacked workers' entitlements and is behind in superannuation payments, their union says.

The operator of Australia's largest gas project, Gorgon, plans to supply more liquefied natural gas to China over a decade in the face of softening global demand.

The Australian share market has had a choppy open as investors wait for the release of key economic data in China.

The Australian dollar is softer ahead of crucial Chinese economic growth numbers.

Gold on Friday rose nearly two per cent, after dropping for four of the previous five sessions, as a weaker US dollar and falling equity markets underpinned demand for assets perceived as safer.

The Australian share market ended the session in red amid heightened concerns about the Chinese economy following major falls on international markets.

Wesfarmers has announced plans to spend over $1 billion in the UK market after sealing a deal to buy the Homebase home improvement chain for $705 million and rebrand it as Bunnings.

Pressure is mounting on self-proclaimed billionaire Clive Palmer to meet with affected workers at his embattled north Queensland nickel refinery.

Woolworths is abandoning its multi-billion dollar foray into the Australian home improvement market following years of losses, putting 7,000 jobs at risk.

The Australian share market has opened sharply lower.

The Australian dollar has tumbled to a seven-year low as risk sentiment soured in the wake of plunging oil prices and Chinese stocks.

Gold has risen nearly two per cent, after dropping for four of the previous five sessions, as a weaker US dollar and falling equity markets underpinned demand for assets perceived as safer.

The Australian share market has reversed early gains to finish in the red as investors fret about China and oil prices.

AFL player, coach and commentator Ken Judge has died of cancer.

Subscribers of video-streaming service provider Netflix will no longer be able to use proxies to watch content not available in their home country.

Mining giant BHP Billiton will write down the value of its onshore US oil and gas assets by more than 30 per cent as it factors in the slump in crude oil prices.

The Australian share market has opened higher, driven by resource and financial stocks after a strong performance on Wall Street as the US earnings season got off to a strong start.

Gold has fallen sharply to a one-and-a-half-week low, pressured by a US Federal Reserve president's comments about potentially rethinking further rate hikes, triggering technical sell signals while

The Australian dollar is drifting higher following a recovery from China's share market and gains in most commodities.

A rally in battered energy shares led US stocks to rebound, while financials rose after upbeat results from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Australian share market closed 1.5 per cent lower as investors fretted about the economic outlook following another rocky session on Wall Street.

Mining giant Rio Tinto has put a freeze on salaries for all employees as it hunts for savings in the face of a continuing slump in commodities prices.

Dick Smith's fate may not be decided for another six months, with administrators set to apply for more time to investigate the downfall of the electrical retailer.

Northern Star Resources and Regis Resources have capped off a positive first half of the financial year for gold miners, with December quarter results released today.

The Australian share market has plunged by more two per cent in early trade, with losses across the board following a slump on Wall Street overnight.

Perth-based conglomerate Wesfarmers is poised to make its first major move outside Australasia, offering $A700 million to acquire the Homebase home improvement chain in the UK and revealing plans to develop a new Bunnings-branded business in that market.

US stocks have sold off sharply as a brief rally in beaten-down oil prices stalled after US data added to concerns about an oversupplied energy market.

The Australian dollar is down as Wall Street suffers following further losses on Chinese stock markets.

The Australian share market has broken its eight-day losing streak thanks to better-than-expected Chinese trade figures.