'Pain spend' is hitting households where it hurts

Inflation is up, but it's not happy reading: Prices for essentials such as petrol and power show the biggest jumps as wages are barely lifting and debts are high. It doesn't bode well for consumer spending.

Markets Live: Investors cheer France

• Live

ASX starts the week on the front foot after France's first round of presidential polling produces a market-friendly result, which helped push the euro to a five-month high.

Markets Live: ASX ship steadies

Shares snap a three-session losing streak, thanks in large part to gains in the banks and as investors continued to jump into telcos.

Markets Live: ASX slumps again

Investors snap up beaten-up iron ore miners and telco stocks, but it's not enough to offset selling in the big banks and energy names.

Markets Live: Selling wave hits ASX

Geopolitical tensions and further falls in iron ore sparked broad and solid selling on the sharemarket, while TPG is smashed as telcos stumble.

Why the RBA will be sweating on this week's jobs data

Caught between overheating property markets and signs of a moderating economy, the RBA will be praying for a solid jobs number this week.

ASX gains as miners trump banks

Shares advanced after solid gains across mining and energy stocks helped the ASX overcome selling in the big banks.

China will hand Trump the win he badly needs, says Mobius

Veteran emerging markets investor Mark Mobius says Asian business people are less vexed about Donald Trump than their Western counterparts.

Banks lift ASX to a new high

The local sharemarket extended Tuesday's strong gains to hit another near two-year high, with banks once again at the vanguard of the rally.