AAP

Consumer finance software provider ThinkSmart's shares have bounced on hopes of a healthy rise in full year profit.

Australia's biggest iron ore miners are expected to slash dividends next month as the price of the steel-making commodity dropped to $US40 a tonne overnight.

Sundance Resources’ hopes of developing its Mbalam-Babeba iron ore project in Cameroon have been dragged out further, with delays to construction of port and rail infrastructure.

Mining services contractor Sedgman has told its shareholders to take no action towards CIMIC Group’s $153.1 million offer for all the shares it doesn’t already own in the business.

The Australian share market is higher in early trade as a stronger banking sector outweighs weakness among mining stocks.

The Australian dollar is treading water as nervous investors await key Chinese trade figures.

A late rebound in energy and biotech shares has helped push the S&P 500 to a second straight day of gains, while Apple and other technology shares also boosted the market.

The Australian share market has closed in negative territory for its eighth consecutive session, as energy stocks tumbled amid fears of further oil price falls.

Australia's struggling oil and gas producers are expected to put more assets on the market this year as oil prices hit fresh 12-year lows.

The annual number of Chinese visitors venturing to Australian shores has topped 1 million for the first time.

Dick Smith chief executive Nick Abboud has quit the troubled electronics retailer, which has gone into into receivership with debts of about $390 million.

The Australian share market has opened slightly higher after Wall Street had a better session.

Fears for China's growth prospects and turbulence on global markets are weighing on consumers.

US stocks have broadly risen, led by Apple, as they rebounded off their worst-ever start to a year and with the corporate earnings season set to kick off.

The Australian dollar has firmed on recovering global risk appetite after China lifted its currency higher.

The Australian share market clawed back some early losses but has still closed more than 1 per cent lower, chalking up its seventh straight session in the red.

The jobs market is expected to have weakened in December, after enjoying the best two months of employment growth in almost 28 years.

Oil and gas producer Origin Energy has shipped the first cargo from its Australia Pacific liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at Curtis Island in North Queensland.

The Australian share market has opened lower.

US stocks have closed lower, ending a volatile week with their worst five-day start to a year ever, as sliding oil prices and lingering worries about the global economy offset upbeat US job growth.

The Australian dollar has fallen to a new three-month low after US employment growth figures came in much stronger than expected.

Gold has fallen further from an earlier nine-week high as stronger-than-expected US payrolls data boosted the US dollar and stock markets, shoring up a recovery in equities.

A volatile day of trading has capped off a brutal New Year start to the Australian share market where the bourse has recorded six straight days of losses.

Embattled law firm Slater & Gordon has confirmed its lenders have appointed investigative accountants to scrutinise its books.

The Australian share market has slipped below 5,000 at the open, continuing its disappointing week as Wall Street suffered another fall and oil prices slid to a new low.

Construction activity has fallen, after enjoying four months of expansion, due to weakness in mining-related engineering construction, as well as commercial construction.

The Australian dollar has fallen to a three month low as concerns about the Chinese economy push the currency and share markets even lower this week.

Gold prices have climbed above $US1,100 an ounce for the first time in nine weeks as investors moved into safe assets for a fourth straight day after worries about the Chinese economy hit global st

US stocks sold off further on Thursday, giving the Dow its worst start to a year since the 30-stock index was created in 1928, dragged down by another drop in Chinese equities and oil prices at 12-

Metals giant Alcoa of Australia says its WA alumina refining operations have not been affected by the Waroona bushfire but its Farmlands business has sustained some damage.

Nearly $87 billion has been wiped from Australian equities in the first four trading sessions of 2016 after another Chinese meltdown sent the local market plunging by more than two per cent on Thursday.

Laura Ashley faces an uncertain future in Australia after the women's clothing and homewares retailer, famed for its pastels and prints, called in the administrators.