AAP

Westpac has posted a 12 per cent drop in first half cash earnings to $3.1 billion, on the back of competitive pressures in the home loan market and increased provisions for bad debts.

Anthony Albanese has lashed out at the prime minister's leaders' debate performance as nothing but smirk and smears, as pre-poll voting gets under way across the country.

The ASX dropped 2.2 per cent to finish the week down 3.1 per cent, with losses across the board in what an analyst described as "complete carnage".

The Western Australian government will consider setting a target for the supply of electricity from renewable hydrogen.

Macquarie Group's full-year profit has surged 56 per cent to $4.71 billion, but the group will maintain a conservative approach in FY22.

The Australian Stock Exchange has finished broadly higher after the US Federal Reserve said aggressive interest rate hikes weren't under active consideration.

Nearly two years on since the destruction at Juukan Gorge, Rio boss Jakob Stausholm has told shareholders that the miner is focused on resetting relationships.

Alliance Aviation Services and Qantas have agreed for the latter to fully take over the leading contract and charter flights operator.

National Australia Bank's first-half cash profit has risen 4.1 per cent and the lender has also lifted its interim dividend to 73 cents a share.

The Australian stock exchange has edged lower ahead of a key Federal Reserve meeting, where the US central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates for the second time since 2018.

The nation's third-largest bank, ANZ, has reported a lift in first-half profit after tightly managing costs and improving home loan processing times.

The Australian share market has closed lower for a second day after the Reserve Bank raised the cash rate higher than expected.

A push by the AGL Energy board to demerge the company with the 75 per cent shareholder approval is facing a potential hurdle after a billionaire bought shares.

The ASX has closed sharply lower following Friday's sharp selloff on Wall Street, although its losses eased in the afternoon.

Manufacturing is growing at its fastest pace in almost a year, despite the constraints of skilled worker shortages and rising input prices and wages.

The ASX has closed out April with its best two-day rally since May 2020, to finish the month down just 0.86 per cent.

Rising international fuel prices and outages at Australia's coal-fired power plants are pushing wholesale electricity costs up, the market operator has warned.

The Australian share market has bounced bank from three days of losses, gaining 1.3 per cent, its best single-day performance since January 28.

Tasmania will from Monday become the final Australian state to drop the seven-day isolation for household contacts of people with COVID-19.

The Australian share market is down for its third consecutive day, this time with tech stocks and the banking sector hit after Tuesday's commodities sell-off.

Confidence eased slightly in the past week and could fall further as the latest inflation data highlights the extent of cost of living pressures.

Former West Australian treasurer Troy Buswell has been handed a suspended prison sentence for repeatedly attacking his ex-wife.

The ASX has suffered its worst session since the start of the war in Ukraine, with miners and oil producers sharply lower following China's COVID outbreak.

Elon Musk has reached an agreement to buy Twitter for $61 billion, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the social media platform.

A hearing to consider wage rises of up to 25 per cent for aged care workers is underway at the Fair Work Commission.

The Australian share market has been saturated with red over concerns the global economy is headed for a difficult period.

Travel booking company Trivago has been fined $44.7 million after a Federal Court judge found it intentionally misled consumers about hotel room rates.

Most sectors, including energy, property, industrials and financials, have recorded strong trader interest, pushing the Australian share market higher.

Firms are being warned to look out for and report dodgy payments as criminals opt for the anonymity of cryptocurrencies.

Healthcare stocks lifted the S&P/ASX200 to just shy of its record high before the market pulled back in afternoon trading.

Consumer confidence has increased to its highest level since early March in response to a further drop in petrol prices in the past week.

Traders have backed energy and banking stocks after returning to their desks following the Easter long weekend.