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The Australian share market has closed higher despite a poor start as investors bought into the major banks.

Wages growth is grinding along at its slowest pace in nearly two decades but a rebound in employment is tipped to help offset this next year.

Older Western Australians enjoy better health than their counterparts in the rest of the country and have some of the highest income and wealth in the nation, but the gap between rich and poor WA residents who are elderly is of considerable concern, according to a new report.

The Australian share market has opened lower after a bomb threat in Germany prompted a reversal of fortunes on Wall Street and rattled investors.

Chevron claimed Gorgon would pay for tax cuts

Retail giants Walmart and Home Depot jumped on solid earnings but the broader market finished little changed after a choppy session.

The Australian dollar is firmly back above 71 US cents after it got a boost from some stronger US inflation figures.

Gold prices have fallen more than one per cent to the lowest price in nearly six years, pressured by expectations that the United States will raise interest rates in December, and as the US dollar rose and stocks rebounded from losses suffered after Friday's attacks in Paris.

World oil prices dropped on Tuesday after Monday's one-off gain as supply forces continued to dominate the market.

A parliamentary committee report on fracking in Western Australia has found that there is misinformation in the public debate on the issue and made 12 recommendations to the state government for regulating the industry.

The share market has closed more than 2 per cent higher after Australia's biggest bank and the country's central bank gave upbeat assessments on the national economy.

Henderson-based engineering firm Civmec has moved to gain a foothold in the east coast defence shipbuilding industry by striking an agreement to purchase the projects division of private company Forgacs Engineering.

The state government has introduced a number of red tape cuts expected to save Western Australians about $150 million over the next five years.

The Australian share market has opened higher following a strong lead from the US and Europe, with investors' fears fading following the Paris terror attacks.

Voters back GST rise as long as they get compensation

The Australian dollar back below 71 US cents, after financial markets sentiment turned sour following the fatal attacks in Paris.

Big gains by petroleum-linked equities helped lift US stocks in the first session after the terror attacks in Paris late on Friday.

Gold has pared gains, after an initial flow of safe-haven buying following the attacks in Paris slowed down and investors' focus returned to expectations for the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in December.

Crude prices pushed higher after US-led coalition jets targeted the Islamic State group's oil operations in retaliation following the deadly attacks on Paris.

The Australian share market has closed almost 1 per cent lower as cautious investors mull the possible fallout from the deadly terror attacks in Paris.

Australian shares have slumped in early trade, opening more than one per cent lower after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

Asciano $9 billion deal sitting on a knife-edge

The Australian dollar is slightly lower, weighed down by some weak US retail sales data and nervousness over the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Oil dived to two-month lows after the International Energy Agency said commercial crude stockpiles in developed nations had risen to a record high three billion barrels.

Gold has fallen back towards near six-year lows, on expectations the Federal Reserve is set to raise US interest rates in December for the first time in nearly a decade.

Personal bankruptcies in Western Australia were almost 23 per cent higher in the September quarter than in the same period last year, while business related personal bankruptcies were up 54.3 per cent.

The Australian share market has suffered another steep fall on more Chinese growth concerns and US rate hike talk.

Low commodity prices and falls in major overseas markets have caused the Australian share market to open almost two per cent lower.

BHP falls erase China boom gains

The Australian dollar has eased off its highs gained following a startlingly strong jobs report.

Wall Street has been hit by a broad sell-off, dragged lower by downbeat views of the world economy and US rate rise concerns.

Gold has fallen to its lowest level since early 2010, under pressure from expectations the US Federal Reserve is on track to raise interest rates in December for the first time in nearly a decade.