AAP

Australians are struggling to put money aside, while households are feeling less comfortable after having spent their carbon tax compensation allowances, a survey has found.

The S&P 500 punched to a new five-year high on Friday and the Nasdaq to its best since 2000, as stocks regained footing helped by a sharply narrowed US trade deficit.

Energy giant Chevron has made its twentieth gas discovery off the Western Australian coast in the past two and a half years.

Holden's new VF Commodore will not be the final model of the well-loved Australian car, its managing director says.

The Australian dollar fell to its lowest level in more than three months after the central bank indicated the door is open for more interest rate cuts.

Shares in Africa-focused iron ore hopeful Sundance Resources plunged almost 12 per cent after it revealed yet another delay in the drawn out takeover by its Chinese suitor.

A Perth engineering company has been fined $10,000 after a 16-year-old apprentice lost two fingers doing dangerous work without a licence.

The Australian share market finished stronger near a 22-month high, as investors reacted positively to economic data from China indicating a rebound in activity.

Vodafone Australia's revenue fell by 16 per cent in the last three months of 2012 as it continued to lose thousands of customers.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has poured cold water on hopes banks will go it alone in 2013 and reduce lending rates without further official rate cuts.

Australia's rate of economic growth is expected to ease slightly in 2013 as mining investment slows, the central bank says.

Energy Minister Peter Collier is deflecting calls for his sacking over cost blow outs in the Muja coal-fired power station refurbishment.

The federal opposition says Treasurer Wayne Swan has been stalling for time by not releasing the revenue amounts raised by the government's mining tax.

The Australian share market has opened flat.

Gold miner Newcrest Mining's first half profit has dropped by 51 per cent due to weaker production and sales.

US stocks rebounded from early sharp losses but finished down Thursday amid some earnings disappointments while Apple jumped after it said it was reviewing ways to return some of its $137 billion c

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is pressuring the coalition over its superannuation plans, even though Labor has declined to guarantee it won't change the treatment of retirement savings.

Pessimistic forecasts for Western Australia's share of GST distributions have underestimated the dire outlook for the boom state.

The Australian dollar hit a fresh three-month low after local employment data failed to give the market much optimism about the economy.

The Australian share market has closed higher, boosted by some positive company earnings reports and better-than-expected unemployment figures.

National Australia Bank says its priority in 2013 is cutting costs, even if it is on track to post a record $6 billion full year cash profit.

Confidence among Australian businesses slumped in the final three months of last year, suggesting a slow start to 2013.

Western Australia's Labor party is "ashamed" of its own name because of the record of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her federal colleagues, Premier Colin Barnett claims.

The future of News Corp's Australian newspapers looks more uncertain as the company partly blamed them for an earnings downgrade and said how excited it was to be spinning them off.

A Greens' bid to have the federal government disclose state government attempts to secure Commonwealth funding for a light rail system has failed.

Western Australia sealed a good deal with James Packer despite the billionaire being granted a $35 million discount on land on which he plans to build a six-star, 500-room hotel, Premier

Premier Colin Barnett says he would be horrified if it was proven the state's professional sporting clubs were caught up in doping and links to organised crime.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is backing away from a draft coalition discussion paper proposing incentives and beneficial tax rates to encourage people to move to northern Australia.

Leighton Holdings subsidiary John Holland has won a $186 million contract extension for work on an iron ore port being built for Rio Tinto in the state's north.

Telstra shares are higher after the telco lifted its first-half profit and said it was on track to achieve its full-year growth targets.

Nurses at two more hospitals will implement work bans in their continuing fight for higher pay and fewer menial tasks.

The competition watchdog has flagged that it has some concerns about Virgin Australia's $35 million plan to buy a major stake in budget airline Tiger Airways.