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$1b lithium jobs boost

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed slightly lower after a US Federal Reserve statement, and energy stocks were the biggest drag on the S&P as US crude oil prices fell.

Gold has eased to a one-week low on a stronger dollar, after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and was seen on track for further rate hikes.

Oil prices fell nearly 2.0 per cent overnight as investors focused on swelling global crude supply, which is increasing more quickly than many had expected.

Banking and health care stocks lifted the Australian share market higher, while the energy sector also pushed ahead despite weak oil prices.

Perth-based Southern Cross Electrical Engineering has secured a series of contracts in NSW worth about $80 million.

Swedish construction company Serneke Group, which has annual turnover of $940 million, has established a foothold in the local market by purchasing an equity stake in Nedlands firm Consortium Builders.

Tech platforms have dominated the Innovator of the Year encouragement awards, presented last night, with winners including a video conferencing device for remote communities, groundwater management software, business scheduling software, and a new transmission system for bikes and vehicles.

Chris Ellison-led Mineral Resources has loaded the first train of iron ore from its recently acquired Koolyanobbing mine near Southern Cross.

Gold-aspirant Capricorn Metals has announced a board restructure, which includes the retirement of managing director Heath Hellewell and founding director Peter Langworthy.

The Noisy Guts Project and Chemo@home have taken home the respective Emerging Innovation and Growth categories at last nights Innovator of the Year awards, marking a big win for Perth-based healthcare and research.

CIMIC Group’s Thiess has been awarded a contract to install autonomous haulage system technology at Fortescue Metals Group’s Christmas Creek iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

Tom Young says interest in his udrew interactive building approvals system - the overall winner of the Mitsubishi Western Australia Innovator of the Year award - is growing ahead of its market launch early next year.

Navitas founder Rod Jones has stepped down from the board to manage his conflict of interest in relation to the $2 billion indicative takeover proposal for the education services company.

Australia's banking regulator wants to further lift banks' capital requirements in order to strengthen the financial system's ability to cope with shocks.

The competition watchdog will allow Fairfax Media's $4 billion merger with Nine Entertainment to go ahead after deciding the move would not diminish competition in Australian news and media.

The Australian share market has extended early gains, lifted by health care, supermarkets, infotech and energy stocks.

Ichthys facing claims ‘well in excess of $US1b’

Oil prices have slipped, continuing a recent slide after surging US crude output hit another record and domestic inventories rose more than expected.

Gold pared some gains overnight but held firm as the dollar slid after the US midterm elections delivered a split Congress and as investors looked ahead to a Federal Reserve meeting for signals on future interest rate hikes.

Wall Street is set for a modestly firmer open on Wednesday and global stocks rose after significant US election gains for the opposition Democrats, but the outcome may rule out further tax cuts, sending the dollar and Treasury yields sharply lower.

Geopacific Resources has detailed a capital expenditure of $198.5 million for its Woodlark gold project and is set to commence in early 2020.

The Australian share market was lifted higher by banking and energy stocks on a choppy day's trading as investors awaited the result of US mid-term elections.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has rejected a Chinese consortium's proposed $13 billion purchase of APA Group, saying the deal would result in an undue concentration of foreign ownership of the country's gas transmission pipelines.

Accounting firm BDO has announced the appointment of Pippa Hobson as chair of the Perth office.

Petroleum giant Chevron today announced that Australian boss Nigel Hearne will move to the US, to be replaced by company veteran Al Williams.

BHP Billiton disclosed today that its iron ore stockpiles at Port Hedland will not be sufficient to cover the supply disruption caused by this week’s train derailment.

More than 10,000 Commonwealth Bank customers have responded to chief executive Matt Comyn's request for feedback on how the bank does business.

Multiplex has been awarded the construction contract for a $48 million science building at Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup campus.

The Woodside-operated North West Shelf Venture has struck a preliminary deal to process LNG for the Browse project and Chevron’s Clio-Acme gas fields.

The board of Kin Mining says costs at its Leonora gold project could have blown out by up to 50 per cent, after the explorer today released an engineering report that was leaked online earlier this week.

West Perth-based Golden State Mining is set to list on the ASX tomorrow, after the company raised $4.6 million via an initial public offering.