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Australian shares closed marginally higher as investors remained cautious despite changes of leadership in Italy and Greece.

Fertiliser and explosives maker Incitec Pivot has increased full year profit 13 per cent and says 2012 will be a transition year as it seeks to expand the Asia-Pacific explosives business.

The majority of Australian women reaching retirement have no superannuation savings behind them, the Minister for Employment Participation says.

Elders has posted a $395.4 million annual loss but said its underlying performance had improved and forecast an improved performance for the current fiscal year.

Petrol prices have fallen to a 10-week low and one economist is tipping cheaper fuel in the weeks ahead.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is pleased with an APEC leaders' agreement to slash the region's energy intensity and cut tariffs on environmental products.

Woodside Petroleum has released an environmental study on the offshore component of its Browse liquefied natural gas project for public review that shows most activities associated with the develop

Uranium miner Paladin Energy has posted a much bigger net loss for the September quarter than a year earlier after booking an impairment charge for its Kayelekera mine in Malawi.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce is hopeful the airline will reach contract agreements with workers by next Monday's deadline.

Industry veteran Ron Manners has become the latest Western Australian mining identity inducted into the Mining Hall of Fame at the weekend.

Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman says the state's grain industry has received a significant boost with a new consignment of wheat exports to Saudi Arabia.

New cost-of-living data shows this is not the time to be imposing new taxes on households, federal opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey says.

DuluxGroup predicts it will be more profitable in fiscal 2012 after shrugging off challenging conditions to increase its 2011 full year profit by more than 50 per cent.

FairStar Resources has signed a native title agreement that takes it a step closer to obtaining a $300 million funding facility for the development of its Steeple Hill iron project in the eastern G

Maintenance services and staffing group Programmed has appointed former Austal Ships and Fleetwood Corporation managing director Robert McKinnon as a non-executive director.

Total personal finance commitments fell 2.5 per cent in September to $6.986 billion, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows.

Rail operator QR National has signed a deal with Wesfarmers to haul up to 1.5 million tonnes of coal each year from its Curragh mine in Queensland to port.

Australian stocks gained as changes of leadership in Italy and Greece stoked optimism that Europe's debt crisis would be addressed.

US President Barack Obama has opened a summit of 21 Pacific Rim economies, including Australia, urging the region to work for quicker, more sturdy and more sustainable economic growth.

The Australian dollar is more than one US cent higher as optimism grows that the Italian government will avoid financial disaster.

US blue chip stocks have turned in a solid gain on the back of good earnings reports to rack up a positive week, but feeble tech stocks left the Nasdaq with its second weekly loss in a row.

Perth-based building company Pindan has won a $56 million camp construction contract for Fortescue Metals Group's Solomon Hub iron ore development in the Pilbara.

Wesfarmers has hit back at critics worried that its Coles supermarkets are abusing market power by squeezing suppliers.

Construction and contracting group Decmil Australia has joined forces with the Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr native title claim group in Broome to pursue work opportunities in the Kimberley

Leighton Holdings has reaffirmed it will return to profitability this financial year with a profit of a much as $650 million as it tenders for $27 billion worth of work.

Australian interest rates could be cut again as early as next month amid new warnings that Europe faces tipping into recession.

Property developer Port Bouvard will re-allocate funds previously set aside for its Point Grey project near Mandurah to repay its debts, in order to qualify for an extension of its banking fac

Australian shares closed firmly higher on positive offshore leads and short-covering ahead of the weekend.

The City of Perth has given its approval to Brookfield's plan to build a 17-storey office tower adjacent to its $500 million City Square skyscraper.

A spike in recent insolvencies in Australia shows that fallout from the global financial crisis (GFC) is continuing, liquidation firm Dissolve says.

NRW Holdings has been awarded a $99 million contract for the construction of access roads for Chevron's Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project.

Outgoing Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ralph Norris remains the country's highest paid banker, despite a rise in remuneration for Westpac's Gail Kelly.