AAP

Consumer goods retailer Harvey Norman is drastically scaling back plans to conduct five per cent of its trade online, only months after launching a brand new website.

Major shareholders in UCL Resources will not accept a hostile takeover offer from Minemakers, casting a cloud over the likelihood of the proposal succeeding.

A Western Australian parliamentary committee will investigate whether organisers of the Kimberley Ultramarathon, in which two women were badly burned in a bushfire, took reasonable steps to ensure

Engineering firm Downer EDI will supply mining giant BHP Billiton with trains in a deal that could be worth more than $400 million.

The Australian stock market opened higher this morning, led by the big miners after strong gains in the US overnight.

The Australian dollar has risen as demand grew around European bonds.

ta and a key ruling for the pending Greek debt write-off that had boosted the Dow back above the 13,000 line.

The Australian dollar lost ground as strong demand for the US dollar overshadowed domestic capital expenditure data.

Export commodity prices edged up for the second month in a row in February.

A male worker has died at AngloGold Ashanti's Sunrise Dam gold mine near Laverton.

The Australian share market closed lower as cautious investors searched for an elusive lead.

Sandfire Resources has started mining underground ore at its DeGrussa copper-gold mine northeast of Meekatharra.

Cashed-up corporate shell Murchison Metals has reshuffled its board in the wake of the one-time iron ore miner's sale of assets to Japan's Mitsubishi.

Junior gold explorer Crest Minerals is planning to raise up to $5 million through its initial offer of shares to the public, with funds earmarked for four key areas in Western Australia's Eastern G

Capital expenditure fell in the last three months of December, but it is expected to make a comeback in the new year as the mining boom gains renewed momentum.

Economists believe the building sector is recovering, albeit weakly, after official data showed a small rise in building approvals for January.

The opportunity to worry, gloat, and maybe soon even take bets on house prices is about to get a big boost with the launch of a daily home value index.

Woolworths says its net profit has fallen more than 16 per cent, due to the restructure of its Dick Smith chain, and it expects trading conditions to remain subdued for the rest of the year.

Australian stocks market opened nearly one per cent lower this morning following Wall Street's lead where US markets tumbled following the Federal Reserve chairman's address to Congress.

Economists expect the reserve bank will keep the cash rate steady at its next meeting, citing comments suggesting its benign view of domestic and global conditions.

The Australian dollar has fallen after rising to its highest levels in nearly three weeks.

The Nasdaq composite index briefly touched 3,000 on Wednesday for the first time since the collapse in dot-com stocks more than a decade ago.

Hannans Reward has launched a $25.6 million all-scrip takeover bid for fellow junior minerals explorer Scandinavian Resources.

Qantas Airways has reported rising passenger numbers as it continues to rebound after the grounding of its entire fleet because of an industrial dispute in November.

The Australian dollar pushed to its highest level in almost three weeks, rising above 108 US cents, following data showing the retail sector having recovered from its pre-Christmas blues.

Iron ore pellet producer Grange Resources has booked a record full year profit after strong prices outweighed lower sales.

The Australian share market closed higher, boosted by encouraging economic data from Japan and South Korea and slightly stronger retail sales data in Australia.

Shares in consumer goods retailer Harvey Norman fell more than six per cent after the company reported worse than expected sales in an uncertain retail environment.

A fall in house sales in Victoria dragged national new home sales down in January, a survey shows.

Shares in QBE Insurance Group have risen after the insurance giant raised $450 million from institutional investors and sought to raise another $150 million from retail investors.

The construction sector has reported a decline in the amount of work completed, which economists say will subtract substantially from next week's economic growth figures.

Australia's biggest companies are again being told that their explanation of what their executives are being paid and why isn't up to scratch.