AAP

The Australian share market has opened higher.

The Australian dollar has risen as investors hunt for yield and amid a general lack of dovish comments from the Reserve Bank.

Gold has rebounded from a near-five-week low as the US dollar dropped, shrugging off earlier pressure by top Federal Reserve officials' comments fuelling speculation that US interest rates would rise sooner rather than later.

The share market has fallen as growing expectations of a US rate hike later this year rattle investors.

Billionaire James Packer has reduced his majority stake in casinos and hotels operator Crown Resorts, reaping around $448 million.

US retailer Lowe's has begun Federal Court action against Woolworths over the failed Masters hardware chain.

Premier Colin Barnett has reportedly told Agriculture and Transport Minister Dean Nalder not to attend a regional cabinet meeting because his presence would be a distraction.

Embattled mining services business McAleese Group has gone into voluntary administration after failing to secure a lifeline from Hong Kong-based debt trader SC Lowy.

The Australian share market has opened lower.

Gold has pared gains, while the US dollar has turned up and US stocks have fallen, as investors struggle to decipher the timing of a US interest rate increase following comments by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and other officials.

The Australian dollar has lost ground against the greenback after the US central bank left the door open for an interest rate hike as early as September.

Oil prices are largely unchanged following a volatile session, as traders reacted to comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen and reports of missile activity in Saudi Arabia.

The share market has lost ground as investors moved cautiously ahead of a speech by US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen which could provide clues on the timing of a US interest rate hike.

Australia Post has returned to profit despite a record decline in letter volumes.

The Australian share market has opened lower.

Oil prices have risen one per cent on US-Iran military tensions in the Gulf and speculation the US dollar will fall on a monetary policy speech due from the US Federal Reserve chair.

The Australian dollar is slightly lower against the greenback as traders wait for US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen to speak at a global central bankers meeting.

Gold has hit four-week lows, under pressure from upbeat US data in the run-up to a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen this week that will be watched for clues on monetary policy.

Resource heavyweights, including Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, weighed on the Australian share market on Thursday amid another wave of mixed company earnings results.

A judgement ordering One Nation senator-elect Rod Culleton and his wife to pay former Wesfarmers director Dick Lester more than $200,000 in damages has been upheld.

Nine Entertainment has negotiated its way out of a costly contract to broadcast US TV shows and is refocusing on local content in response to disappointing ratings.

Businessman John Poynton has denied interfering in Premier Colin Barnett's leadership of the state government amid an outcry about a poll commissioned by powerful businessmen showing the Liberal Party on track to lose the March election.

Woolworths has slipped to a $1.23 billion full-year loss after a big decline in earnings from its Australian food and drink business and more than $2.6 billion of write-downs.

Diversified miner South32 has slumped to a net loss of $US1.62 billion ($A2.13 billion) in its first full year as a listed company, after taking heavy write-downs in its manganese, coal and alumina operations to reflect the downfall in commodities prices.

The Australian share market has opened lower.

Gold has dipped one per cent to a four-week low as the US dollar has strengthened and markets look ahead to a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that will be closely watched for further clues on US interest rate policy.

The Australian dollar is trading higher against the US greenback as the market considers the prospects of a US interest rate rise ahead of a highly anticipated speech by US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen.

The share market has edged higher as gains by the banks and resources giants offset falls by Wesfarmers and Telstra amid a raft of earnings reports.

Evolution Mining will pay Glencore $880 million in a deal to take an interest in the Ernest Henry copper and gold mine in Queensland.

Perth's residential rental vacancy rate has reached a record high of 5.2 per cent with 10,738 homes currently untenanted, according to property group SQM Research.

Woolworths has announced its exit from the home improvement sector, with all of its Masters stores to close in early December and the properties to be redeveloped by a private consortium, while its Home Timber & Hardware business is to be sold to Metcash.

Strong profit results from Wesfarmers' Coles and Bunnings stores have been overshadowed by hefty write-downs linked to Target and its coal assets.