Financial Services

The Australian share market has closed lower on fears that US markets will react badly to the latest earnings figures from iPad and iPhone maker Apple.

Job cuts and lower costs helped investment firm Macquarie Group overcome subdued financial markets to increase its first half profit.

Self-funded retirees, who don’t subscribe to the theory of staying fully invested in the market, may find comfort in the views of Felix Stephens, head of strategy and research at Advance Asset Mana

Australian stocks opened flat after mixed leads from Wall Street and European markets.

US stocks have made modest gains as durable goods orders and weekly unemployment claims came in better than expected and Procter & Gamble earnings beat forecasts.

The Australian dollar has hit a one-week high, amid increased optimism about the Chinese economy and reduced expectations of further domestic interest rate cuts.

The Australian market has closed marginally higher on a day defensive stocks shone.

Australian stocks have opened higher, with local market players looking past a weak lead from Wall Street.

ANZ Banking Group has posted a record $5.66 billion full year profit as it grew earnings from its domestic and international operations.

US stocks have closed lower, unable to hold on to earlier gains amid weak corporate earnings and after the Federal Reserve left policies on hold as expected.

The Australia dollar jumped in response to a larger than expected rise in inflation, but ended the session weaker.

Global insurer QBE expects to achieve modest premium growth this financial year.Chief financial officer Neil Drabsch said QBE expected premium growth in the low single digits this year.

Australian stocks managed to avoid some of the heavy falls experienced on Wall Street, but the local sharemarket still finished 0.8 per cent lower.

Australian stocks have opened 0.7 per cent lower, outperforming the sharp declines from offshore markets during the overnight session.

Poor earnings and forecasts from major US industrial firms have added to a global markets downturn to send US stocks plummeting, with DuPont losing 9.1 per cent on its earnings plunge.

The Australian dollar is marking time ahead of the release of key inflation data.

The Australian share market closed almost unchanged, as investors awaited key manufacturing data from China and more news on company earnings in the United States.

The Australian share market has opened flat.

A diminished sales forecast by industrial bellwether Caterpillar has clouded stocks, but a last-minute burst of buying pushed the Dow and S&P 500 barely back into the black for the session.

The Australian dollar is a third of a US cent lower as rising expectations of an interest rate cut in November put pressure on the currency.

Australian stocks have closed more than half a per cent lower, with the resources sector worst hit on a day of broad-based declines.

The Reserve Bank of Australia is introducing industry-wide reporting standards for mortgage-backed securities to boost investor confidence in the market. 

Australian stocks have opened weaker, as a disappointing finish on Wall Street over the weekend prompted widespread selling at the start of the local trading week.

US markets sank on Friday, with the Nasdaq pulled down more than two per cent by a tech stock rout led by Apple and Microsoft as a raft of disappointing earnings and trimmed forecasts spooked inves

The Australian dollar is lower as traders took profits after a five-day rally led to a four-week high.

The Australian share market closed slightly stronger at a fresh 15-month high, ahead of a summit of EU leaders this weekend.

National Australia Bank has raised its provisions to deal with the impact of an economic downturn by $250 million, a move that will negatively impact its full year earnings.

Australian stocks have opened lower, dropping from near 15-month highs amid weakness in the resources and financial sectors.

The Australian dollar is slightly lower, as it retreats from a two-week high reached following positive Chinese data.

Google's shares have plunged after a surprise drop in earnings in a prematurely released quarterly report, but while the Nasdaq sank the Dow avoided being pulled down as well.

Luke Saraceni’s Westgem Investments has been placed into liquidation, following a heated creditors meeting in Perth this morning in which leading insolvency experts argued over who should be appoin

The Australian dollar hit an almost three-week high after traders breathed a sigh of relief over China's latest economic growth figures.