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The Australian share market has opened stronger, buoyed by a lift in US and European shares after the European Central Bank suggested momentum for further economic stimulus is gathering pace.

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Oil prices have slightly rebounded as traders hunted for bargains lurking in the prior day's steep fall.

The Australian dollar has climbed slightly higher after the European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold and flagged its readiness to step up its stimulus program.

US stocks have powered higher, lifted by dovish signals from the European Central Bank and strong earnings from McDonald's, Texas Instruments and others.

Gold has fallen to its lowest in more than a week, pressured by a strong US dollar and uncertainty over the timing of a US Federal Reserve interest rate rise.

News of a massive takeover offer for energy giant Santos has helped lift the share market.

Commodity prices are expected to rebound in the next two years, according to forecasts by the Economist Intelligence Unit, led by a sharp rise in the crude oil price and a lift in base metals.

The Australian share market has opened lower after a strong US dollar battered commodities' prices.

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The Australian dollar has slipped as commodity prices lose ground.

Wall Street stocks have finished solidly lower following mixed earnings that included strong results from General Motors and disappointing figures from Yahoo.

Oil prices have fallen as an increase in US crude stockpiles provided fresh fuel for concerns about the global oversupply.

Gold has fallen almost one per cent for its biggest one-day loss in three weeks on technical selling and long liquidation as the US dollar recovered ground against the euro amid uncertainty over the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

Chinese consumer price inflation was a low 1.6 per cent in the 12 months to September, according to that country’s National Bureau of Statistics, highlighting that steam is coming out of the world’

The state government has released plans to formalise a ‘protection area’ around the Western Trade Coast industrial area, pleasing existing industry but disappointing land developers.

The Australian share market has lifted modestly as investors gain in confidence and await a catalyst for stronger movement.

The federal government has dropped its offer to spend $4 million on a research centre to be headed by climate change 'contrarian' Bjorn Lomborg.

The Australian share market has opened lower following a weak lead from Wall Street overnight and heavy losses among the local banks.

Bumper quarter gives weight to Oil Search snub

US oil prices have fallen as traders awaited the next day's US government report on commercial inventories, expecting an increase that would add to abundant global supplies.

Strength in the greenback has stripped away some gains made by the Australian dollar following upbeat comments from the Reserve Bank about the local economy.

US stocks have finished lower following mixed earnings, with the Nasdaq especially weak as a result of steep declines in biotech shares and Tesla Motors.

Gold has risen as solid lending data helps the euro rebound against the US dollar ahead of a European Central Bank meeting this week, which is expected to clarify the outlook for monetary policy.

Falls by the big banks, miners and energy producers have pulled the share market into the red.

New retail trading laws for WA will affect businesses as varied as Bunnings, Masters, stallholders at short-term markets and even shops on Rottnest Island as the state government moves to widen trading hours and remove anomalies in current regulations.

The Reserve Bank of Australia appears in no hurry to ease interest rates, despite rising market expectations of a rate cut before Christmas.

The Australian share market has opened lower as the government's response to the Murray review of the financial system weighed on the big banks.

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The Australian dollar has failed to hold on to gains made in the wake of China's better than-expected growth data.

Oil prices have fallen sharply on renewed concerns about China's cooling economy after data showed the weakest growth in more than six years and falling industrial production.

US stocks have finished modestly higher as gains in tech shares offset weakness in petroleum-linked equities following weak Chinese economic data.