AAP

The Australian share market has closed flat as investors turned away from some of the big mining stocks in favour of the banks.

The Western Australian public will differentiate between the state government's problems and the Liberal party's Senate candidates at the April 5 poll, Prime Minister Tony Abbott told a campaign launch in Perth today.

Rare earth miner Lynas Corporation has widened its half-year loss and warned that it will need to raise additional funding within the next 12 months to meet its debt repayment obligations.

Recent improvements in business conditions seem to have hit a snag as a lack of employment growth weighs on consumer confidence.

The tide appears to be turning for the travel and tourism sector, with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlighting a growth trend in the number of short-term visitors compared to resident departures.

The Australian share market has opened lower in the wake of disappointing Chinese trade data and escalating concern over Ukraine.

A federal Liberal MP who called Tony Abbott a liar over the government's refusal to support food processor SPC Ardmona says the company's $70 million deal with Woolworths is a win for people power.

US stocks have slipped as weak economic data from China and Japan raised questions about the growth outlook in Asia.

Global oil prices have fallen as weak Chinese trade data stokes concerns over demand in the world's second largest economy.

The Australian dollar has lost ground as tensions about the Ukraine crisis and concerns about the Chinese economy weigh on market sentiment.

Steep falls among Australia's biggest miners have pushed the sharemarket lower after weak Chinese trade data lead to a fall in commodity prices.

Ship builder Austal has won a $US125 million ($A138.71 million) contract to build two vessels for an unidentified naval customer in the Middle East.

Germany's Hochtief has moved to boost its stake in construction giant Leighton Holdings and shake up the company's board.

The Australian share market has opened lower in the wake of disappointing Chinese trade data and escalating concern over Ukraine.

Wall Street stocks have finished mixed as a better-than-expected US jobs report helped offset anxiety over Ukraine that sent European equities lower.

Gold and silver futures have dropped as investors come to grips with the prospect of continued stimulus reduction by the Federal Reserve in the wake of better-than-expected US employment data.

The Australian dollar is lower as more worries about tensions between Russia and Ukraine overshadow positive US economic data.

At the close on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 16.4 points, or 0.3 per cent, higher at 5,462.3, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 17.3 points, or 0.32 per cent, at 5,477.0.

Australia's building industry has contracted further with a sharp fall in new orders as the investment phase of the mining boom fades.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said while inflation is not quite as low as it might have looked six to 12 months ago, he does not believe it is accelerating to the extent a literal reading of the latest data might suggests.

The S&P 500 Thursday jumped to a new record high on a mixed day for stocks as investors looked ahead to Friday's monthly jobs report.

Gold prices have risen while palladium has set a fresh 11-month high after tensions between Russia and the West escalate.

The Australian dollar continues to climb after a series of stronger-than-expected economic data boosts confidence in the local economy.

The Australian Greens are crying foul over reports Labor may not preference them at the re-run of the Western Australian Senate election.

The mysterious "health-related" absence of Treasurer Troy Buswell will likely be explained when he returns to work, the premier says.

The sharemarket has closed steady, as gains from better than expected retail spending and trade balance data offset falls posted in early trade.

Troubled surfwear retailer Billabong faces a potential class action from investors hurt by the dramatic decline in the fortunes of the company.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show retail spending rose 1.2 per cent in January, three times the 0.4 per cent rise economists had expected.

Western Australian sandalwood producer TFS Corporation, through its US joint venture entity Santalis Pharmaceuticals, is about to ship 100 kilograms of oil to an unidentified global pharmaceutical company - at $US4,500 per kilogram.

The Australian market has opened weaker due to falls by the mining giants and a soft lead from Wall Street.

The federal government insists it is working to stop global companies avoiding tax.

A disappointing production forecast from oil giant ExxonMobil has pushed the Dow into negative territory on an otherwise flat day for US stocks.