Sharon Olalia

U.S. stocks rose slightly Friday, extending their climb to fresh two year highs as investors were encouraged by a report of stronger than expected job growth for October.

The Australian Dollar reached highs near 1.0180 on Friday however almost a cent was wiped from the currency pair as the recent risk rally lost steam during Friday's European session.

US payrolls rose by 151,000 in October, well ahead of expectations for jobs growth of 60,000.

After receiving a very positive lead from Wall Street overnight, our market maintained its early rally to close 1.1pct or 55.4pts stronger to 4872.9.

The Australian share market climbed over one per cent to a seven month high as investors snapped up resources stocks amid higher metals prices and a greater appetite for riskier assets.

Passengers from Qantas Airbus A380, the same carrier where Oprah Winfrey next month was to have flown hundreds of US audience members in a John Travolta-piloted down under trip, have left for Australia on relief flights.

The Australian sharemarket is rallying strongly today, completely wiping out yesterday's slight falls.

Huge numbers of disappointed Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) customers have taken to the Internet to vent their outrage over the 'unfair' variable interest rate hike of 0.45 per cent this week.

Australia's construction industry remained damp in October largely due to persistent weakness in activity and new orders, although the rate of contraction was less than the previous month, a survey has found.

The AUD has opened higher this morning, touching a fresh post float high early.

U.S. stocks rallied to their highest level since their September 2008 plunge during the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers as investors applauded the Federal Reserve's latest effort to stimulate the struggling economy.

The Australian Dollar managed to hang onto its gains above parity yesterday despite softer-than-expected retail sales data. Australian retail sales rose just 0.3 per cent in September reducing expectations as to the pace of rate hikes in 2011.

US jobless claims rose by a larger than expected 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000 in the last week.

The Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) said the current debate about banking is long on rhetoric but short on facts. The comments come while Australia's top officials continue to pressure the country's four major banks to ease interest rates as consumers bear the brunt of higher financial service fees on their loans and mortgage debts.

The Australian share market closed at its highest level since late April as traders reacted positively to the potential blocking of BHP Billiton's $40 billion Canadian fertiliser bid.

Australian stocks ended at a fresh six month closing high today, as the US stimulus package boosted investor sentiment around the region. Qantas (QAN) shares were also in focus after one of the airline's A380 planes suffered a mid-air emergency before landing safely in Singapore.

Australian retailers are increasingly concerned of the sector's persistent weakness even during traditional shopping periods.

Australian consumers are much less likely to trust opinions of financial services providers than those of non experts, new research has revealed.

BVN Architecture, one of Australia's largest architectural practices with offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, won the Health Category award at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) this evening (Wednesday 3 November) in Barcelona for the Youth Mental Health Building at the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) in Camperdown, Sydney.

The rising Australian dollar is crushing Australia's export industry, new data show as the Aussie overnight powered to $1.0064, its highest since 1982, after the Federal Reserve began a new chapter in quantitative easing.

The Australian share market has soared to a six month high in early trade, following a strong lead from Wall Street which led to the Australian dollar breaching parity against the greenback.

US dollar selling is once again the name of the game following the overnight announcement from the US Federal Reserve of their intentions to pump more money into the US economy.

U.S. stocks bounced in and out of positive territory but are now rising, while the dollar and the 10 year Treasury plunged, after the Federal Reserve said it would buy $600 billion in longer-term securities by the middle of next year as part of its latest effort to prime the domestic economy.

The long-awaited and much-discussed stimulus measures in the US have been announced which has sent the Australian Dollar soaring above par with the greenback to 1.0045 at time of writing.

The US Federal Reserve has unveiled greater purchases of securities in order to inject fresh stimulus into the economy: ´´The Committee will maintain its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its securities holdings.

The Australian share market hit a six month high to close stronger on Wednesday as investors remained optimistic about economic data from offshore due overnight.

The local share market was well supported today, ahead of an expected injection of stimulus by the US Federal Reserve.

Homeowners hurting after the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's (ASX:CBA) shock 0.45 per cent rate rise should get a better deal instead of getting mad, according to an independent home loan information provider that connects home buyers with some of the cheapest bank loans in the country.

Building approvals, which continued to slide in September, confirm the industry is weakening.