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Today

6:20PM (AEST): Dollar weaker on jobs, debt fears

THE dollar closed weaker in local trading after euro debt jitters and weak domestic jobs data spooked investors. Read more
5:03PM (AEST): Shares recover to close flat

THE Australian share market recovered from early heavy losses to close flat. Read more
4:25PM (AEST): Telstra results help turn market around

THE Australian share market has recovered from early heavy losses to close flat. Read more
2:49PM (AEST): Telstra's billion dollar plans paying off

TELSTRA'S focus on improving its historically poor customer service seems to be working as it reports better-than-expected results. Read more
1:38PM (AEST): Cooper shares up on takeover bids

COOPER Energy shares jumped after the junior oil and gas producer said it had been approached by several parties for a merger or outright takeover. Read more
1:37PM (AEST): Dollar up despite French fears, jobs data

THE Australian dollar was flat at noon after recovering from a dive after weaker than expected local jobs data and overnight fears about French debt. Read more
12:52PM (AEST): Market down on international fears

THE Australian share market recovered early heavy losses to be only slightly lower at noon. Read more
12:27PM (AEST): Jobs data confirm weak labour market

OFFICIAL employment figures today confirm the labour market is weak, as should be expected after a period of weak economic growth. Read more
11:50AM (AEST): Dollar drops on weak jobs data

THE dollar dropped almost one US cent after official figures showed the unemployment rate rose to 5.1 per cent in July. Read more
11:45AM (AEST): Shares fall ahead of jobs data

SHARES buckled after two days of gains on a renewed nose-dive on Wall Street and European bourses, as worries over eurozone debt problems and a US recession resurfaced. Read more
11:43AM (AEST): Jobless rate jumps, could rise further

AUSTRALIA'S unemployment rate rose unexpectedly in July to its highest level since November 2010, and may rise further in coming months. Read more
10:37AM (AEST): Market falls at open, but Telstra's up

THE Australian share market fell 1.5 per cent at open today, following more heavy losses in Europe and on Wall Street overnight. Read more
10:05AM (AEST): Subscribers stick with Foxtel, profits soar

FOXTEL increased full year earnings by 15.5 per cent as the pay television provider gained new subscribers and retained more existing subscribers. Read more
10:05AM (AEST): Gold hits new record, passes $US1800

GOLD prices surged past $US1800 an ounce ($1763 per 28.3g) as investors bought up the safe haven. Read more
9:49AM (AEST): David Jones slashes profit forecast 20pc

DAVID Jones has downgraded its 2012 profit forecast, the CEO saying they are facing an "extremely difficult trading environment". Read more
9:42AM (AEST): Optus posts 5pc fall in first-quarter profit

OPTUS has posted a 5 per cent fall in quarterly profit, describing the result as "resilient" amid intense competition. Read more
9:35AM (AEST): Telstra profits drop but customers queue

TELSTRA'S annual profit might have fallen by 17 per cent but their customer base is booming as mobile consumers switch to the telco. Read more
9:34AM (AEST): Webjet annual profit up 5 per cent

ONLINE travel agent Webjet has lifted annual profit by five per cent, and says it expects to double the result in the current year. Read more
9:32AM (AEST): Alumina first-half profits up 53pc

ALUMINA has increased first half profit by 53 per cent as the aluminium maker says demand for the metal continues to grow. Read more
8:41AM (AEST): France forced to face downgrade fears

THE French President is fighting to protect the country's AAA credit-rating as the global debt crisis threatens to consume yet another nation. Read more
8:31AM (AEST): Banks big losers as European stocks sink

EUROPEAN bank shares suffered huge losses on stock markets overnight, with French banks the biggest losers as new problems emerged over private-sector Greek debt re-scheduling. Read more
8:27AM (AEST): Dollar dragged lower on French rumours

THE dollar was trading close to two US cents lower this morning, after rumours of bad economic news out of France sparked a global sell-off. Read more
8:22AM (AEST): Board backs Murdoch to stay CEO

RUPERT Murdoch says the News Corporation board backs him to continue as CEO of the company he founded more than half a century ago. Read more
8:12AM (AEST): Stocks dive as Italy prep structural reform

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi vowed to hold a cabinet meeting to adopt new budget-cutting reforms. Read more
7:51AM (AEST): Apple becomes most valuable company

APPLE officially became the world's most-valuable company, in terms of market capitalisation, at the close of the trading session. Read more
7:26AM (AEST): France forced to face downgrade fears

THE French President is fighting to protect the country's AAA credit-rating as the global debt crisis threatens to consume yet another nation. Read more
7:09AM (AEST): US stocks plummet over 4pc

US stocks plummeted over four per cent today, more than wiping out the gains of yesterday's rebound as European debt troubles and worries of a new US recession kept investors nervous. Read more
6:49AM (AEST): NewsCorp reports lift in net profit

NEWS Corporation says the phone hacking scandal in the UK has had "no material impact" on the global media giant's other operations after reporting full year earnings in line with market consensus. Read more
6:39AM (AEST): Dollar weaker as equities plunge

THE dollar was trading around 1.5 US cents lower this morning, amid big losses on global equity markets. Read more
12:37AM (AEST): US stocks open lower, Dow down over 300

US stocks plunged tonight as worries about the global economy weighed heavily after the prior day's rally. Read more

Yesterday

5:57PM (AEST): Dollar holds up as sentiment returns

THE dollar is holding onto its overnight gains, after the US Federal Reserve calmed markets by saying interest rates could stay at record lows until mid-2013. Read more
4:56PM (AEST): Market volatility takes toll on consumers

SHARE prices finished over 2.5 per cent higher, finding a solid base from Wall Street after the US Federal Reserve promised to keep interest rates low over the next two years. Read more
3:05PM (AEST): Tiger gets all-clear to resume flights

TIGER Airways is free to resume flights immediately but under strict new conditions to ensure passenger safety. Read more
2:42PM (AEST): Carbon tax to hit just 400 polluters

FIRST the carbon tax would apply to 1000 of Australia's biggest polluters, then it was 500, and now it's "more like 400". Read more
2:30PM (AEST): Jobs index falls for fourth straight month

THE federal government's leading employment index has fallen for a fourth straight month in August, following on from three consecutive monthly increases. Read more
1:23PM (AEST): Dollar strengthened by US rate comments

THE Australian dollar was higher at noon (AEST), after the US Federal Reserve said interest rates could stay at their record lows until mid-2013. Read more
1:13PM (AEST): Myer renews Brookes CEO contract

MYER has renewed chief executive Bernie Brookes' contract to extend his term to August 2014. Read more
12:45PM (AEST): Tiger Airways set to get OK to fly

TIGER Airways Australia will be cleared to resume flights, almost six weeks after it was grounded by the air safety regulator. Read more
12:36PM (AEST): Aussie market keeps climbing at noon

STOCKS were higher at noon as the market held onto gains which began late yesterday and were boosted by a late Wall St surge. Read more
12:30PM (AEST): News Corp results driven by TV and film

NEWS Corporation shares are being pounded amid the ongoing UK phone scandal and general market distress in recent days. Read more
12:29PM (AEST): Telstra tipped to report net profit fall

TELSTRA is tipped to report a double-digit decline in net profit as its year-long bid to capture more customers eats into the bottom line. Read more
12:27PM (AEST): Norris makes a polite exit from CBA

COMMONWEALTH Bank boss Ralph Norris has held back from criticising the federal government in his final major appearance for the bank. Read more
12:00PM (AEST): Harvey Norman lifts global annual sales

RETAILER Harvey Norman has posted a 1.7 per cent increase in global sales for the year to June 30, earning $6.18 billion, despite the slump in consumer spending. Read more
11:58AM (AEST): Personal finance commitments down

TOTAL personal finance commitments fell 0.8 per cent in June, seasonally adjusted, to $6.993 billion, down from $7.050 billion in May. Read more
11:38AM (AEST): Westfield sambas into Brazil shopping

SHOPPING centre owner Westfield Group is making its first new market entry in 11 years, acquiring 50 per cent of a Brazilian operation. Read more
10:57AM (AEST): Consumer sentiment plunges in August

CONSUMER sentiment has fallen further as concerns about the global economy add to worries about rates, housing prices and the carbon tax. Read more
10:27AM (AEST): Aussie stocks surge 3pct in early trade

AUSTRALIAN stocks made a welcome 3 per cent rise in early trade today, after sharp rebounds in the United States and Europe overnight. Read more
9:54AM (AEST): Stockland posts 58pct profit rise

DEVELOPER Stockland has posted a 58 per cent rise in annual profit, and says it expects to maintain earnings in the current year. Read more
9:11AM (AEST): CommBank's record $6 billion profit

COMMONWEALTH Bank posts a $6.39 billion profit for the year but warns banks may not escape the economic turmoil overseas. Read more
9:03AM (AEST): Domino's Pizza annual profit up 20pct

DOMINO'S Pizza has increased full year profit by 20 per cent per cent, and says it expects another 15 per cent rise in the current year. Read more
8:59AM (AEST): Spain rejects need for rescue from debt

SPAIN rejected outright any need for a rescue to avert a sovereign debt crisis even as European Central Bank intervention halted a market attack on its bonds. Read more
8:28AM (AEST): US Federal Reserve to keep lid on rates

THE US Federal Reserve pledged to keep a lid on short-term interest rates until at least the middle of 2013, implying the Reserve will keep its benchmark lending rate near zero for nearly two more years. Read more
7:43AM (AEST): Blackberry threatened for helping UK cops

RESEARCH In Motion was threatened with reprisals if it released encrypted communications of its British Blackberry users to help British police quell days of violent looting. Read more
7:34AM (AEST): Europe stocks end negative day on high

EUROPE's main stock markets ended days of sharp declines with most markets recording rises or ending the trading day flat. Read more
7:30AM (AEST): AOL shares sink more than 25 per cent

SHARES in Internet company AOL plunged more than 25 percent overnight on Wall Street. Read more
7:25AM (AEST): Striking workers sabotage company

VERIZON claimed that striking workers sabotaged company wirelines and physically prevented staff from entering workplaces across the US. Read more
7:23AM (AEST): Government denies $70m live export aid

THE federal government has played down a suggestion it's about to cough up another $70 million in assistance for the live cattle industry. Read more
7:11AM (AEST): Australia hurt by hysteria, not US rating

THE livelihood of businesses, consumers and workers is at risk - not because of the US rating downgrade, but due to market hysteria. Read more
6:57AM (AEST): US Fed to keep rates near zero

THE US Federal Reserve said today that it will likely keep interest rates at record lows for the next two years after acknowledging that the US economy is weaker than it had thought and faces increasing risks. Read more
6:44AM (AEST): Dollar recovers over US1c

THE dollar was more than one US cent stronger this morning, after the US Federal Reserve said that it expected to keep interest rates at ultra-low levels for the next two years due to weakness in the economy. Read more
6:32AM (AEST): US stocks in solid rebound

US stocks rebounded strongly today, with the Dow jumping nearly four per cent after plummeting yesterday on the shock of Standard & Poor's downgrade of the US credit rating. Read more
4:26AM (AEST): US stocks rebound

US stocks rebounded strongly in early trade overnight, surging well over one per cent one day after their steepest plunge since the 2008 financial crisis. Read more
1:20AM (AEST): Business gives carbon tax thumbs down

BUSINESS owners slam the government's carbon tax package saying it comes at a time when they are struggling to make ends meet. Read more
12:01AM (AEST): US stocks rise in early trading

US stocks gained in early trading tonight as investors looked to an afternoon statement by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Read more

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