The resources industry is expected to be one of the unlikely drivers of wages growth in 2019, with recruiters forecasting some salaries to climb by almost a third.
Oil prices have jumped about 3 per cent, rising after OPEC detailed specifics on its production-cut activity to ease global oversupply, and on signs of progress in ending the US-China trade war.
Gold has slipped to its lowest value in more than a week and headed for its first weekly decline in five, as equities and the US dollar got a lift from investors taking on more risk due to growing hopes for a resolution in the China-US trade war.
Easing US-China trade tensions have helped Australia's big miners, energy companies, and tech stocks soar as the local bourse closes the week at a new two-month high.
The Australian share market is higher at lunchtime, led by the big miners, the big banks, and the tech sector after an 11 per cent surge in Afterpay shares.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has kicked off his election campaign with a searing attack on big business and the wealthy, in a populist tirade that named and shamed one of Australia’s most iconic companies, miner BHP.
The Australian share market is expected to open higher after Wall Street made solid gains on reports that the US government might end some tariffs on Chinese imports.
Palladium has surpassed the $US1,400 mark for the first time, as demand for the auto-catalyst metal overtook its availability in the market, while gold edged lower as the US dollar gained on better-than-expected US weekly jobs data.
Oil prices have steadied, boosted by a rebound in US equities, after earlier losses on fears about surging US crude production and a weakening global economy.
Commodity-based stocks have helped the ASX hit a new nine-week high, following the release of several encouraging earnings reports, while online retailer Kogan.com surged on strong Christmas trade.
The total number of home loans rose by 2.4 per cent in Western Australia last November, against a 0.9 per cent fall nationally, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Diversified miner South32 has announced corporate affairs and investor relations executive Katie Tovich will replace Brendan Harris as chief financial officer, who will take over the chief marketing officer role from Peter Finnimore.
Mining mogul Gina Rinehart retains her spot at the top of Forbes' Aussie rich list despite falling iron ore prices knocking her wealth down $US1.8 billion, to $US14.8 billion (down approximately $2.5 billion, to approximately $20.6 billion).
Woodside Petroleum has announced December quarter revenue of $1.42 billion, a rise of 43 per cent on the previous corresponding period and surpassing investment bank UBS's estimate of $1.35 billion for the period.
Prime Minister Theresa May has won a confidence vote in the British parliament and then appealed to MPs from across the political divide to come together to try to break the impasse on a Brexit divorce agreement.
Asian shares have crept higher as upbeat bank earnings bolstered Wall Street, while an anti-climactic end to the latest chapter in the Brexit saga gave sterling a moment's peace.
Britain’s political crisis has deepened, with Prime Minister Theresa May’s humiliating Brexit defeat heightening the prospect of no deal with the EU as rival political factions threaten to tear the Conservative government apart.
Palladium prices have risen to a record high on increasing demand and lower supply of the metal used in autocatalysts, while gold gained on expectations of a pause in the US Federal Reserve's rate hiking cycle.
Oil prices have steadied after a three per cent rise during the previous session, after data showed growing US refined product inventories and record crude production, which could undermine global efforts to support prices.
Professional services company Turner & Townsend has been awarded an $8.2 million state government contract to establish and operate a program management office that will oversee Metronet’s program of works.
Advisory firm Mainsheet Capital has recruited Gerard Moody as a director, while global law firm Jones Day has a new managing partner in its Perth office.
Woodside Petroleum has awarded four contracts, which it is funding without a contribution from venture partner BHP Group, for front-end engineering design activities at its proposed $15 billion Scarborough project.
Consumer confidence has posted its largest monthly fall in more than three years, weighed down by a number of factors including the decline in house prices, global trade wars, and even the Australian men's cricket team.
The Australian share market has opened flat as market sentiment is pulled in opposite directions by optimism about a Chinese economic stimulus package, and pessimism about the UK House of Commons defeat of the Brexit deal.
Almost 80 Australian seafarers will lose their jobs after BHP and BlueScope quietly brought an end to their use of the last two Australian-manned iron ore vessels.
Gold prices have eased as the US dollar rose and stock markets climbed, but further losses were capped by concerns over slowing economic growth and prospects of a pause in US interest rate hikes.
Oil prices are about three per cent higher, supported by China's plan to introduce policies to stabilise a slowing economy, reversing the previous session's losses due to grim data in the world's second-largest economy.
US stocks have risen, as hopes of more stimulus for China's slowing economy and a jump in Netflix shares helped investors look past disappointing earnings from JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.
