AAP

The Australian dollar has hit a three-week high after weaker-than-expected economic data caused a sell off in the greenback.

The Dow has jumped back above 17,000 following a strong report on US consumer confidence and another round of mostly solid corporate earnings.

Global oil prices have risen, lifted a bit by a weaker dollar and ahead of the weekly US inventories report.

Gold prices have closed nearly unchanged as investors cautiously await the outcome of the Federal Reserve's policy-setting meeting, while palladium futures rise on hopes of improved industrial demand.

The share market improved from a poor start but still closed marginally lower, due to weakness in sectors exposed to commodities.

Engineering firm WorleyParsons expects challenging conditions in global resources markets to continue.

Virgin Australia's chairman Neil Chatfield is relinquishing his post after seven years.

Motorists face higher petrol costs within weeks after the Abbott government bypassed the Senate to reintroduce fuel excise indexation.

BHP Billiton will try to sell the Arkansas gas assets that marked its first entry into the US shale industry in 2011.

The share market has opened weaker as another disappointing German business confidence reading reignited European growth concerns.

BC Iron's shares have plunged as a disappointing quarterly report showed the junior iron ore miner is struggling to break even.

Wall Street stocks have finished little changed as the market absorbed losses in petroleum stocks while looking ahead to a two-day US Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting.

Oil prices have headed lower as Goldman Sachs sliced its price forecast for crude amid mounting stockpiles around the globe.

Gold prices have slipped, as traders sell their metal holdings ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting later this week.

The Australian dollar is slightly lower after weak German economic data weighed on market confidence.

‘Mum and dad’ investors can apply to buy shares in health insurer Medibank Private from tomorrow.

ANZ says "an abundance of caution" led it to request a stop to trading of its shares after the bank accidentally published its own profit data on its website.

The share market has made a strong start to the week, with a rebound by the banks pushing it higher.

Cash Converters International is considering more acquisitions after an increase in personal loans and sales in its company-owned pawnbroking stores helped lift the quarterly revenue by more than a quarter.

The Australian share market has opened higher as the banks continue to rally.

US equities have enjoyed their best week in months as buying fever returns to the market on solid earnings and easing anxiety about the Ebola virus outbreak.

Murdoch University announced late on Friday that its vice chancellor, professor Richard Higgott has resigned, five weeks after he was stood down on full pay, in the midst of a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation.

The share market has posted its biggest weekly gain since February as easing concerns about Europe helped the big banks.

A takeaway and cafe giant is buying Gloria Jean's Coffees for $163.5 million from the man who brought the franchise to Australia.

The federal budget deficit is running nearly $2 billion smaller than anticipated at this stage of the financial year.

Movie and TV streaming service Quickflix expects to add more customers over summer as it looks for a tie-up amid flat growth.

The federal government has rejected calls to establish a Royal Commission into the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the troubled airline is on track to return to an underlying profit in the first half of this financial year.

The share market is half a per cent firmer with the banks making, gains but the big miners sliding.

The much-anticipated stock market float of Medibank Private has attracted the kind of hype not seen since the sell-off of Telstra.

Oil prices have rebounded from a two-year low in New York on encouraging Chinese and German economic data and reports of Saudi Arabia cutbacks.

The Australian dollar is lower following disappointing inflation figures out of New Zealand.