AAP

The financial sector has dipped for the second day in a row as traders realised losses ahead of the end of the financial year.

Australians cannot be "passive bystanders" as the United States and China work through their trade differences, Scott Morrison has warned.

The financial sector has dipped for the second day in a row, dragging down the overall Australian share market in early trade.

Oil prices were mixed ovenright ahead of data expected to show US crude stocks declining, outweighing investors' concerns that US-China trade tensions could dampen fuel demand.

Gold prices retreated from a six-year high overnight after comments from US Federal Reserve officials trimmed expectations that the central bank will lower interest rates by half a percentage point next month.

The Australian share market has closed marginally lower following a seesaw session.

A local junior whose gold and base metals exploration projects in Burkina Faso had to be put on hold amid escalating jihadist violence in the West African country is pivoting to become a rare earth oxide developer.

Collins Foods has lifted its payout to shareholders after strong sales at its Australian KFC network helped the company boost full-year profit 20.3 per cent to $39.1 million.

Oil prices were mixed overnight as market concerns about the possibility of a conflict between the United States and Iran eased while worries about declining crude demand resurfaced.

Gold prices rose more than one per cent overnight to a near six-year peak as the US dollar fell, with safe-haven bullion also boosted by US President Donald Trump's announcement to impose fresh sanctions on Iran.

The Australian share market has closed higher as the heavyweight mining and financial sectors shrugged off their morning losses.

The $2.3 billion takeover of Navitas by private equity firm BGH, AustralianSuper and the global education provider's former chief executive Rod Jones is now legally binding.

Tax cuts could be made law as early as next week if the Morrison government meets Labor at the negotiating table.

Metcash has swung to a $192.8 million full-year profit after cycling through its South Australian contract impairments, but its share price has taken a tumble after a decline in food earnings and higher finance costs weighed on the IGA supermarket supplier's underlying result.

The Australian share market has opened lower, with every sector except materials and telecommunications slipping into the red.

Oil futures rose about one per cent on Friday, with US crude up 10 per cent and global benchmark Brent gaining 5 per cent in the week, on fears the United States could attack Iran and disrupt flows from the Middle East - an area which provides more than a fifth of the world's oil output.

Gold prices surpassed $US1,400 on Friday before retreating, still holding near a six-year high on the US central bank's dovish stance on monetary policy.

The Australian share market has closed lower for the first time in three days, with all sectors in the red except for energy and mining stocks.

Lynas Corporation won't cash in on the sharp short-term increase in rare earths prices related to the US-China trade war, saying it will stick to the long-term strategy it announced last month.

An internal investigation is under way at the corporate watchdog over the collapse of investment company Sterling First, which Business News first revealed had entered administration last month.

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter says the peak construction and mining union should be deregistered and he's prioritising laws that could help make that happen.

The Australian share market has opened flat despite gains on Wall Street overnight.

Gold prices surged to a near six-year peak overnight after the US Federal Reserve bank signalled it was ready to cut interest rates as early as next month to boost growth, triggering a sharp fall in the US dollar.

Oil soared more than five per cent overnight after Iran's army shot down a US military drone, raising fears of a military confrontation between the two countries.

The Australian share market has closed higher for a third day, with gains in most sectors and gold miners a standout as the price of the precious metal jumped to a six-year high.

National Australia Bank says it's putting its money where its mouth is by allocating $2 billion to boost high-growth tech companies over the next five years. 

The Australian share market has opened flat with early losses for the energy and mining sectors.

Oil futures were mostly steady overnight as price support from a larger-than-expected decline in US crude inventories was countered by a lull in equities.

Gold prices climbed overnight after the US Federal Reserve signalled interest rate cuts were possible later this year as it responded to increased economic uncertainty and tepid inflation.

The Australian share market has surged by more than a percentage point to hit another 11-year high amid indications Chinese-US trade tensions could be easing.

CSIRO has licensed a nontoxic gold mining technique to a Perth company it says could double production for smaller gold producers.

The federal government has ruled out bringing the next sitting of parliament forward a week to legislate its promised tax cuts by the end of this financial year.