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Wall Street equities have finished little changed as investors take stock of mixed US economic data and await Friday's US jobs report.

Oil prices have finished lower following a choppy session as traders looked ahead to Friday's US jobs report for September.

Palladium rose to its highest level in nearly three months following strong car sales, continuing a trend in which the component of petrol engine autocatalysts gains at the expense of platinum.

Premier Colin Barnett has detailed a $1.5 billion commonwealth funding wish list, mostly for rail projects.

The national resource industry employer group is calling for urgent workplace reform after a report by the federal government revised down the forecast value of Australia’s exports by $113 billion in 2016-19.

Morrison sympathetic on ‘absurdity’ of WA’s consumption tax share

The Australian dollar has bounced higher, helped by weak European inflation data which leaves the option open for more economic stimulus from the European Central Bank.

Wall Street stocks have finished a painful third quarter on a positive note, joining big European and Asian markets in rallying on speculation of more monetary stimulus.

Oil prices are little changed after a mixed US petroleum market showing an unexpected rise in crude inventories and a dip in crude production.

Gold has hit its lowest level in two weeks and recorded its biggest quarterly loss in a year as US jobs data came in stronger than expected and the market awaited clarity on the timing of a hotly anticipated US interest rate rise.

Metcash plays down threat of Aldi expansion into WA, SA

Platinum prices have fallen below $US900 an ounce for the first time since January 2009, hurt by fears that the Volkswagen emissions scandal would cut demand from carmakers, but later pared losses as bargain-hunting investors swooped in.

Oil prices have risen, benefiting from a more benign outlook for commodities as shares of mining giant Glencore rose and equity markets stabilised.

The Dow and S&P 500 have finished higher but the tech-rich Nasdaq fell for the sixth straight day following a choppy session for US stocks.

The Australian dollar has bounced from its recent lows helped by some encouraging US consumer confidence figures.

LABOR treasury spokesman Chris Bowen insists a GST increase can’t be the linchpin of widespread tax reform because it won’t be enough to pay for measures to boost Australia’s sluggish economy.

There was a lot of money made on residential property sales around Australia in the June quarter, but the joy wasn't spread around evenly, with more than 10 per cent of all houses and about 20 per cent of all units sold in Western Australia during the quarter selling at a loss.

Light rail back on Federal agenda

US stocks have fallen sharply, joining European equities in retreat after poor Chinese industrial data deepened worries about the world's second-biggest economy.

The Australian dollar has slipped below 70 US cents after Chinese industrial profits figures added to evidence that the Chinese economy is slowing.

Oil prices have dropped in the wake of a sharp fall in industrial profits in China, the latest sign of weakness in the world's largest energy consumer.

Gold had its worst session in two-and-a-half weeks, extending Friday's losses ahead of a key US jobs report later in the week that could boost bets the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.

A difficult 2015 financial year for the Western Australian economy has flowed through to a soft performance for the state’s listed money managers, according to BNiQ research, with the biggest player considering a restructure to diversify its income sources.

The City of Perth’s small but growing residential population is increasingly the target of those seeking council positions.

Austal willing to consider SA shipyard

US stocks have finished lower on global growth fears with shares of industrial heavyweight Caterpillar sinking after it announced thousands of job cuts.

Oil prices have edged higher recovering some of the losses from the previous day's session that were prompted by increased US oil output.

The Australian dollar is higher, after the US dollar weakened against most of the major currencies on the back some encouraging US economic data.

Spot gold has rallied more than two per cent for the biggest one-day gain in almost eight months as a weak US dollar sparked short covering while platinum recovered from a four-day rout even as automotive demand woes lingered.

Top Western Australian publicly listed companies with fewer women on boards than the national average may get the boost they need following the launch of a new club.

Western Australia has experienced the nation’s highest rate of births, but the second biggest percentage fall in overseas migrants, taking the state’s total population to about 2,587,000.

The state government has announced a better-than-expected result in its annual report on state finances for 2014-15, but Treasurer Mike Nahan says Western Australia has a long way to go before it returns to surplus.