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Consumer prices rose in January, as the cost of utilities and transport increased.

Industrial services company Spotless has given in to shareholder demands and will allow its private equity suitor to cast its eye over the Spotless business.

Dairy farmers have accused the federal government of having no regard for their future, despite two major Senate inquiries into the supermarket milk price wars.

Warren Buffet-backed Canadian company Sterling Crane has acquired Western Australian business Freo Group and its Queensland subsidiary Global Crane in a deal likely to be worth about $160 million.

Labor can win an election in 2013 if it delivers its plans for reshaping the economy, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.But it will take a lot of hard work.

Time Warner subsidiary Home Box Office has announced it will take a strategic stake in Perth-based online DVD rental and content streaming business Quickflix for $10 million.

The big banks should fully pass on any rate cut by the central bank to help improve consumer and corporate confidence, a business lobby group says.

 Retail sales figures for December were poor but a rebound is expected once the full affect of recent interest rate cuts sinks in, economists say.

Job advertisements have posted their largest monthly rise since February 2010, a private survey shows.

Open pit mining is set to commence at Gindalbie's $2.57 billion Karara iron ore project in the Mid West, after Downer EDI signed a $570 million mining services contract.

Australian shares have opened almost 1.5 per cent higher after the release of better-than-expected US jobs figures.

The latest Fairfax/Nielsen poll shows Julia Gillard is in front of Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister for the first time in nine months.

The Australian dollar is slightly higher, reflecting positive US jobs data.At 0705 AEDT, the Australian dollar was trading at 107.27 US cents, up from 106.88 cents on Friday afternoon.

A strong January jobs report on Friday sent US stocks soaring, pushing the Dow to pre-crisis levels, as investors celebrated a surge in job growth that pointed to new vitality in the fragile recove

Macquarie Group has appointed Perth deal-maker and company director Mark Barnaba as chairman of its Western Australian operations, bolstering its status as one of the top investment banks in WA.

Western Power managing director Doug Aberle has announced he will step down from the power utility after almost 40 years of service.

Five small and mid-cap miners including Papillon Resources, Coalspur and Condoto Platinum have raised a total of $39 million in new capital to support operations that stretch from West Africa to Ca

Westpac boss Gail Kelly became the latest bank executive to try to soften up the public to the prospect of banks not passing on the central bank's expected interest rate cuts next week.

The Australian dollar eased back below 107 US cents after trading within a tight range as the market awaited key jobs data from the US.

Australian shares edged lower to a weaker finish as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of key US employment data.

Perth-based exploration junior ElDore Mining has announced a major gold mine acquisition in Zimbabwe, that it says paves the way for it to become a significant producer in 2012.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is wary of an economy where the only signs of strength are in the mining sector, after hundreds of jobs were slashed in the banking and manufacturing sectors.

Automotive Holdings Group has announced a partnership with Australasian Property Investments to launch a $66 million unlisted property trust.

Ausdrill managing director Ron Sayers and his business associate, Barminco founder Peter Bartlett, have been charged with fraud over events that occurred nearly ten years ago.

Shares in Magma Metals have skyrocketed after nickel miner Panoramic Resources launched a $40 million takeover bid for the base metals explorer.

The effectiveness of the Council of Australian Governments will be put to the test over this year as it tries to drive reforms to make the national economy more seamless.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the jobs of manufacturing workers won't be safe until Prime Minister Julia Gillard loses her job.

Australian shares have opened largely flat on the back of mixed leads from overseas.

The Australian dollar is slightly lower, backing away from the three-month high reached yesterday.

US stocks have ended the session mixed after weekly jobless claims fell, but Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke told congress the jobs market had a long road to recovery.

Coretrack is planning to wind down its Globe Drill business after disclosing a legal dispute over its license agreement and poor performance of its GT3000 drill rig.

Corporate finance deals launched or completed in Western Australia during 2011 were worth a whopping $59.8 billion, a survey by WA Business News has found.