The S&P 500 and Nasdaq declined as the possibility of more US tariffs on Chinese imports loomed, while tech stocks stumbled, led by chipmakers and concerns about increased regulation of social media companies.
Australian shares have dropped to their lowest since June in the wake of near-across the board falls triggered by increased US-China trade worries, falling world oil prices and a new round of mortgage rate hikes by local banks.
Australia's corporate watchdog filed a lawsuit on Thursday against superannuation funds run by the wealth management unit of National Australia Bank, accusing them of charging fees to hundreds of thousands of retirees for services the were not provided.
Gold producer Pantoro has announced a capital raising for up to $15 million as the company aims to expand production at its Halls Creek operation to 80,000 ounces in 2019.
The cost of hydrogen production could be competitive enough for Western Australia to become a exporter in the next decade, while use in applications such as remote area power systems is not far away.
Newly-listed Coolgardie Minerals has signed an ore sale agreement with Northern Star Resources for production from its Geko gold mine, which is set to come online next month.
Commonwealth Bank and ANZ have become the latest major banks to lift their home loan interest rates, with both institutions blaming rising international borrowing costs.
The Nasdaq has fallen more than 1.0 per cent, dented by technology stocks after Facebook and Twitter executives defended their companies before sceptical US lawmakers.
Oil prices fell more than one per cent after a US Gulf storm weakened and moved away from oil-producing areas and concerns mounted about global trade disputes and Turkey's currency crisis hurting demand.
State final demand lifted 0.2 per cent in Western Australia in the June quarter, while national GDP growth hit its fastest level in more than 5 years at 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to June.
The Australian share market closed lower on Wednesday, dragged down by a slump in the heavyweight mining sector as worries about a possible escalation of trade tensions hit commodity prices.
Western Australia’s car industry has recorded its third straight month of decline for new vehicle sales, according to the latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, but electric and hybrid passenger cars, and small-sized SUVs have bucked the trend.
A wave of investment in the WA aged care sector has continued, with Southern Plus opening a luxury care facility in the same week as Hall & Prior announced it would proceed with a $60 million redevelopment.
The Perth residential rental market continues to show signs of improvement, with the vacancy rate falling to 4.5 per cent in August, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia.
Telecommunications firm Swift Networks has entered into a three-year reseller agreement with Vietnamese systems integrator Sieu Nhat Thanh Co to expand into the South-East Asian country.
Robotic technology company FBR has signed a partnership agreement with Wienerberger AG, the third major international building materials group to have struck a deal with the Perth startup to commercialise its Hadrian X autonomous bricklaying robot.
US stocks have fallen as trade concerns lingered and declines in Facebook and Nike shares weighed on Wall Street's major indexes, though data showing US manufacturing activity accelerated in August kept losses in check.
Oil prices were little changed as energy infrastructure on the US Gulf Coast braced for a hurricane, but gains were capped as a stronger dollar and report of rising stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma hub weighed.
