AAP

At its meeting today, the Reserve Bank of Australia left the cash rate unchanged at 2.5 per cent, with Governor Glen Stevens flagging a period of stability in interest rates.

Thousands of Bluestone Global workers have lost their jobs after the Melbourne-based mining services provider went into administration and its subsidiaries into liquidation.

An independent audit has damned Labor's rollout of the national broadband network and recommends all major infrastructure projects be subject to a published cost-benefit analysis.

Australia's trade balance remained in the red with a deficit of $1.683 billion in June.

The local sharemarket has opened flat ahead of the Reserve Bank's interest rate announcement and the full swing of earnings season.

Engineering group Downer EDI has lifted its full-year profit almost 6 per cent, despite a slide in revenue from across its infrastructure, mining and rail businesses.

Businesses confidence has hit its highest level in 11 years, as the services sector and retailers become more optimistic about their sales outlook.

US stocks have risen, recovering some ground lost last week when the S&P 500 notched its biggest weekly decline since mid-2012.

The Australian dollar is higher after US stocks recovered some ground after last week's losses, as market sentiment turns around.

Oil prices have moved higher following a weekend of turmoil in key petroleum producers Libya and Iraq.

Gold prices have slipped, as fears of a sooner-than-expected increase in US interest rates overshadowed continued violence in Ukraine and Israel.

US private equity firm KKR has upped its bid for Treasury Wine Estates, but the battle for the owner of Penfolds wines may be just beginning.

The share market lost ground but not as much as expected, as strong retail spending figures boosted sentiment.

Job seekers could be the hardest hit if the federal government continues to struggle to get its first budget endorsed.

Atlas Iron boss Ken Brinsden has hosed down takeover speculation of his company, but says its shares are good value.

Another month of solid jobs growth is not expected to be enough to bring the unemployment rate down from its highest level in 10 years.

Retail spending is picking up as Australian consumers shake off the federal budget blues.

The fund set up to pay future public servant superannuation entitlements has topped $100 billion.

Mining services entrepreneurs Peter Bartlett and Ron Sayers met in the Supreme Court again today for the start of their new tax fraud trial, following a hung jury verdict in November.

Inflation appears to be off to a soft start in the September quarter, allowing the Reserve Bank to remain in wait-and-see mode on interest rates.

The Australia share market has continued its slide, following further losses on Wall Street and in Europe.

Gold futures have ended higher, erasing the previous day's losses, after a lacklustre US labour market reading fanned trader interest in the protective asset and eased jitters over higher interest rates.

The Australian dollar is back above 93 US cents after US employment data disappointed the market.

US stocks finished sharply lower after a news-packed week that bolstered confidence in the economy even as speculation grew that the Federal Reserve will more quickly raise interest rates.

The Reserve Bank is expected to go 18 months without a change to its interest rate, but a string of interest rate hikes are expected in the new year.

The Australian share market has retreated on the eve of Australia's company earnings season.

Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey's call for everyone to take a "chill pill" over the budget has brought a heated response from opposition leader Bill Shorten.

The Health Services Union of Western Australia has called off all industrial action in the state's public hospitals after the government agreed to go to arbitration to resolve a pay dispute.

The consumer watchdog is concerned that Australians are bearing the brunt of the unnecessarily high costs mobile operators charge each other for taking calls and text messages.

Andrew Thorburn has shaken up NAB’s executive team in his first day on the job.

Manufacturing activity has recorded its first positive result in eight months, helped by increased activity in the food, beverages and tobacco sub sector.

Woodside Petroleum shareholders are set to vote on a $2.92 billion plan to buy back shares from Royal Dutch Shell.