Financial Services

Strong leads from Wall Street and increasing prospects of an interest rate cut in Australia have driven the local share market higher.

US stocks have pushed higher, rallying after two down days on generally solid corporate earnings and a gain in oil prices.

The Australian dollar has hit a new five and a half year low, weighed down by growing interest rate cut expectations and a surging US dollar.

The share market has achieved a sixth straight day of gains as expectations of an interest rate cut grow.

Doray Minerals has refinanced a $55 million debt facility with Westpac to help fund development of its Andy Well stage 2 gold project in the Murchison region of Western Australia.

The Australian share market is lower due to struggling commodity prices and weak leads from US and European equity markets.

Wall Street stocks have finished a volatile session sharply lower as worries about the strong US dollar and falling oil prices outweighed some positive earnings reports.

The Australian dollar has backed away from the highs it reached on Wednesday, weighed down by falling iron ore and oil prices.

A late afternoon rally among the big four banks has lifted the Australian share market out of the red.

Sharp falls in oil prices have dragged inflation to near three-year lows, but borrowers shouldn't expect a rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia just yet, economists say.

The Australian share market has opened lower following a weak lead from United States markets and concerns about global growth.

Wall Street stocks have finished sharply lower following a disappointing stream of corporate earnings and mixed US economic data.

The Australian dollar is slightly lower as a negative market mood puts a brake on any gains the currency is trying to make.

The share market has gained ground despite another fall in iron ore prices denting the resources sector.

Calls are mounting for a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia after new figures showed business conditions were wasting away, with little to no momentum building in the economy.

The share market is flat as investors shrug off an anti-austerity party's election victory in Greece.

A massive snowstorm descending on New York dulled Wall Street trade, but stocks ended a bit higher, helped by some positive quarterly earnings reports.

The Australian dollar has fallen to a new five and a half year low, after an anti-austerity party won the Greek election and falls in metals prices.

The share market has posted its biggest weekly gain in two years, helpd by the European Central Bank's multi-billion euro stimulus package.

Perth-raised Naomi Brockwell has carved out a most unusual career in the US, combining her twin passions for the arts and free-market economics.

The share market is firmer across all sectors after the European Central Bank announced a much-anticipated stimulus package.

US stocks have soared after the European Central Bank announced a huge bond-buying stimulus program, with banks and big tech stocks leading the way helped by a sharply higher US dollar.

Gold prices have settled above $US1,300 an ounce for the first time in five months as investors anticipated weaker currencies on the back of the European Central Bank's bigger-than-expected bond-buying program.

The Australian dollar briefly fell to a two week low after the European Central announced its 60 billion euros ($A84.62 billion) a month economic stimulus plan.

Australians with private health insurance could be hit with premium increases of up to 7 per cent from April 1.

The share market has closed higher as mining companies, banks and energy producers performed strongly.

A shock rate cut from the Bank of Canada overnight has added to calls for the Reserve Bank of Australia to do the same next month - with one economist calling Australia's interest rate levels "absurd".

The share market is firmer as expectations of European Central Bank stimulus measures boost the resources sector.

Wall Street has finished higher for the third straight session, shrugging off global growth worries in expectation the European Central Bank will announce aggressive stimulus measures on Thursday.

The Australian dollar has plunged more than one US cent, after a surprise interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada and on expectations of a huge economic stimulus package from the European Central Bank (ECB).

One of Western Australia's last local credit unions, Unicredit, is moving to merge with Sydney-based Teachers Mutual Bank this year, joining a long-term trend towards scale in the lending industry.

The Australian share market has made solid gains, buoyed by a strong production report from global miner BHP Billiton and expectations that the European Central Bank will take steps to boost the eurozone's sputtering economy.