Financial Services

The Australian dollar is lower as the European Union and the US prepare to impose sanctions on Russia after a referendum on the fate of Crimea went ahead despite Western opposition.

The growing diplomatic crisis over Ukraine has rattled markets, producing the deepest declines in US stocks for a single week since January.

Cash strapped Jacka Resources has appointed two broking firms to assess capital raising options after confirming that a friendly takeover offer from Tangiers Petroleum looks set to fail.

Former Compass Hotel Group boss Brian Northcote has had his sentence for breaching directors duties and submitting false information to the corporate regulator extended by a New South Wales court.

Iron-ore explorer Coziron Resources has raised $2.5 million in equity following the execution of a share placement to sophisticated investors.

Weaker than expected economic figures from China and renewed concerns about the Ukraine have caused a significant fall on the local sharemarket.

Australian stocks have plummeted following disappointing Chinese economic figures and renewed concerns about the standoff between Russia and Ukraine.

The Australian dollar is lower as escalating tensions between Russia and the West overshadow positive economic data from the US.

US stocks fell sharply as weak Chinese economic data and rising tensions in Ukraine offset solid US retail sales and labour-market data.

Mining stocks have pushed the sharemarket higher, after heavy falls in iron ore prices came to an end.

The sharemarket is higher after a stabilisation in iron ore prices helped lift resources stocks.

US stocks finished mixed as cautious investors kept an eye on the Ukraine crisis and awaited more information on the direction of the economy.

The Australian dollar is recovering losses made over the past few days, getting some help from rising copper and gold prices.

Weakness amongst the major banks has pulled the sharemarket lower, despite some mining stocks bouncing back from recent losses.

The sharemarket has opened lower as concerns about China's economy and falling commodity prices continue to weigh on investors.

US stocks have finished lower as the market retreated from last week's records and waited for news that might support further gains.

The Australian dollar has dropped to a one-week low after weak US wholesale sales data gave traders another excuse to sell the currency.

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

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

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

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.

Uranium explorer Peninsula Energy has raised $5 million in a share placement to asset manager JP Morgan.

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.

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

Mining and engineering contractors were the biggest losers today when the S&P Dow Jones rebalanced all of its Australian indices, with RCR Tomlinson one of the few to buck the trend.

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.

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.

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

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