US stocks have closed at their lowest level since early October, weighed down by fresh concerns over China and slower global growth and as energy shares tumbled with oil prices.
The latest report on the services sector from the Australian Industry Group was a bit of a worry, not just for the industries covered by the AIGroup's monthly survey, but for the rest of the economy as well.
The Australian share market has closed lower for its third straight session in the new year - and its fourth in a row - as significant events elsewhere in the world make investors nervous.
Three directors of Claremont-based Structural Monitoring Systems have taken advantage of the company's recent share price surge by selling down a portion of their holdings.
The Dick Smith chain of technology and electrical goods shops is probably a poor example of the wider problems confronting retailing but its collapse this week is a reminder that the shake-out which has rattled the retail world over the past few years is far from over.
Car dealers in Western Australia will be hoping for a pickup this year, after the release of data showing a 7.9 per cent fall in new car sales in 2015 in WA, while the rest of the nation reported its best year on record.
A local seafoods business led by Peter Hutchinson and David Lock has had a positive debut on the ASX, after raising over $18 million from investors and completing a major corporate restructure.
The local property market is beginning to show signs of stability as the rental market gains strength, according to the latest Real Estate Institute of Western Australia figures.
Aldi remains on track to open its first Western Australian supermarkets by the middle of the year, ramping up its recruitment drive while construction is under way on 14 stores.
Shoppers might be busy spending up at the post-Christmas sales, but new figures are expected to reveal retail sales got off to a modest start ahead of the recent festive season.
The Australian dollar has hit another post Christmas low, as the fallout from Monday's weak Chinese manufacturing figures overshadows currency markets.
Civil and construction contractor Brierty has recovered $2.5 million from a weather-related insurance claim on a project with Main Roads Western Australia, but is yet to reach a resolution with regards to an outstanding $6.6 million dispute.
The state's largest agricultural lobby group has reported its first operating surplus since 2010, which was largely attributable to a reduction in costs.
The Australian share market has dropped by about 1.6 per cent after concerns about Chinese economic growth sparked falls on major markets around the world.
Perth dwelling values took a surprise positive turn in the last month of 2015, but a property analyst predicts growth in the local housing market is still at least a year away.
After plans for a backdoor listing fell through in 2014, former New Tel boss Peter Malone has signed up Patersons Securities as lead manager for a $4 million initial public offering for his sunscreen and cosmetics company Skin Elements.
Shares in Perth-based Orthocell have soared after the tissue regeneration company was granted a patent for its "cell factory" technology in the United States.
AWE and Origin Energy plan to spend $17.5 million on the first stage of their Waitsia onshore gas project in the Perth Basin after an offtake agreement was finalised with Alinta Energy.
The Australian share market is one per cent down after Wall Street suffered two per cent falls amid worries about the Chinese economy and renewed Mideast tensions.
Dick Smith, one of Australia's best known electronics retailers, has been put up for sale, with lenders taking charge of the troubled company after it failed to secure a funding injection.
Gold prices have rallied two per cent to a four-week high, buoyed by rising tensions in the Middle East and a sharp drop in stocks following weak Chinese data.
US stocks have begun 2016 sharply lower, with the Dow marking its worst start to a year since 2008.It came after weak Chinese economic data fanned fears of a global slowdown.
