AAP

US equity markets have finished the week with losses after a rising jihadist offensive in Iraq lifted oil prices to nine-month highs and stoked further concerns about Middle East stability.

The Australian share market has closed at its lowest level in two months after escalating violence in Iraq spooked investors and falling iron ore prices continued to pressure mining stocks.

Australian stocks have fallen to a two month low as escalating tension in Iraq caused heavy falls on Wall Street.

Nexus Energy hopes its gas projects will continue to operate despite the company appointing administrators after shareholders rejected Seven Group's takeover bid.

The Australian dollar has hit a one month high, extending its gains after the release of solid employment figures.

Wall Street stocks have fallen decisively on escalating violence in Iraq that pushed US oil prices to their highest level in nearly nine months.

Oil prices leapt to their highest level in nearly nine months on Thursday, on rising concerns that turmoil in Iraq will disrupt Middle East supplies.

The Australian sharemarket has closed lower due to weakness in resources stocks and negative overseas leads.

Nexus Energy appears headed for voluntary administration after shareholders almost certainly rejected a takeover by Kerry Stokes's Seven Group Holdings.

Qantas has paid off $450 million in debt eight months early, leaving less debt to be repayed in the coming year.

Australia's jobless rate has remained steady, with the number of people dropping out of the labour market offsetting a fall in how many people are employed.

The share market has opened lower due to negative offshore leads and a downgrade to global economic growth forecasts.

The Australian dollar rose above 94 US cents after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand increased its cash rate.

The Dow has snapped a four-day streak of record highs in a US equity retreat attributed in part to a shock Republican primary election and profit taking.

Oil prices finished somewhat higher following an unexpectedly large decline in US crude supplies and worsening turmoil in Iraq.

The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission has decided to increase the full time adult minimum wage and state awards by $20 per week.

The Australian share market has closed slightly lower as a weaker resources sector and low consumer confidence weighed on sentiment.

The share market is weaker than expected in early trade due to a fall in iron ore prices and weak consumer confidence.

The Australian dollar hit a four-week high against the US dollar, helped by positive business confidence data and a recent run of good Chinese economic figures.

Oil prices have dipped on the eve of OPEC's meeting to decide crude output levels and ahead of the weekly report on US crude inventories.

The Dow has edged to a new record as markets essentially moved sideways with low trading volumes.

Liberal backbencher Rob Johnson is not at risk of being expelled from the party, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Nexus Energy shares have slumped more than 20 per cent as investors worry their shareholdings could be worthless within 48 hours.

A fall in consumer confidence in Western Australia is further evidence that federal and state budgets have hit taxpayer sentiment hard, Member for Perth Alannah MacTiernan says.

The share market has closed slightly higher as mixed economic data hampered gains.

Home loan approval numbers were flat in April, just shy of the 0.2 per cent rise the market had expected, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show.

The Seven Network has announced there will be redundancies arising from a restructuring of its news team.

The share market has opened higher after positive leads from the United States.

The Australian dollar is higher, helped by encouraging signs for the Chinese economy.

US stocks have rallied, with the Dow and S&P 500 extending record winning streaks amid a fresh burst of merger and acquisition activity on Wall Street.

GrainCorp veto was ‘political’

Oil prices have rallied sharply, with the US benchmark hitting a three-month high, after positive Chinese, Japanese and US economic data raised expectations for more energy demand.