AAP

Crude oil prices are slightly lower, extending the previous session's losses as the escalating China-US trade dispute casts doubt over the outlook for oil demand.

The Dow and the S&P 500 were little changed at the open while the Nasdaq was firmly higher, propped up by the high-flying technology trio of Apple, Amazon and Microsoft.

Up to 13,000 public sector workers employed on casual or fixed-term contracts in Western Australia will be considered for secure permanent roles this year, Premier Mark McGowan says.

Australian shares have made solid gains on Thursday and closed just shy of 6,300 points, with financial and consumer stocks driving gains after positive results for Suncorp and Crown and outweighing a drop in the energy sector.

Crown Perth posted a slight increase in normalised earnings for the 2018 financial year, helped by added revenue from Crown Towers, while its parent company reported a full-year profit of $558.9 million.

Sydney-based energy supplier AGL Energy has continued its slow growth in to the WA market, with its annual results revealing it had secured 21,000 gas customers locally by the end of June.

Australian share were slightly higher at the open of trade on Thursday despite a fall on Wall Street overnight.

US stocks were flat on Wednesday after China retaliated to the Trump administration's latest tariffs, escalating trade tensions and muting strong corporate earnings.

Oil prices slid about three per cent on Wednesday as a trade dispute between the United States and China escalated further and after Chinese import data showed a slowdown in energy demand.

Police in Western Australia have revealed the elaborate lengths thieves went to in a bid to steal gold from Northern Star Resources' Kanowna Belle mine near Kalgoorlie.

The Australian share market has lifted on Wednesday courtesy of strong investor responses to profit reports from Commonwealth Bank, AMP and Tabcorp as well as a lift in mining stocks.

Bankwest has posted a $681 million net profit for the 2018 financial year on the back of increased lending and a reduction in bad loans relative to 2017.

Australian shares are higher in early trade with mining and energy stocks lifting and gains for Commonwealth Bank, AMP and Tabcorp as they post results.

The S&P 500 inched nearer to a record high, lifted by Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft, and a strong second-quarter earnings season that fuelled optimism about the US economy's strength.

Australian shares have retreated on Tuesday as falling metals prices and a slump in Amcor after its giant US acquisition put pressure on the materials sector.

The Reserve Bank has left the cash rate unchanged at 1.5 per cent for the 24th month in a row, with RBA governor Philip Lowe adding the drought affecting large parts of the country to his list of concerns.

Australian shares have opened lower, dragged down by the mining sector and despite a slight rise on Wall Street overnight as investors applauded a strong US earnings season.

Oil futures have gained after OPEC sources said Saudi crude production unexpectedly fell in July, raising concerns about global oil supplies as the US prepares to reinstate sanctions against major exporter Iran.

The three major US stock indexes closed higher as investors applauded a strong US earnings season with results from Berkshire Hathaway impressing and Facebook getting a boost.

Australian shares rose on Monday, as strong iron ore prices in China helped material stocks while investors were largely focused on earnings due later in the week.

Australian shares have opened higher, led by mining heavyweights BHP and Rio Tinto following a rise in metal prices, and gains on Wall Street on Friday.

Crude futures pulled back, giving up gains from the previous session as trade concerns weighed on the market and fueled concerns about demand.

The Australian share market has closed slightly lower, dragged down by losses for the banks and the materials sector.

Oil prices have strengthened, with US crude gaining nearly 2 per cent after traders saw an industry report suggesting domestic crude stockpiles would soon decline again.

Technology stocks have pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq higher, driven by Apple shares as the iPhone maker became the first publicly traded US company worth a trillion dollars.

The Australian share market has closed lower, dragged down by the materials sector following Rio Tinto's first-half earnings miss and further concerns over the trade war between the US and China.

Australian shares are slightly negative in early trade following falls on Wall Street's main indexes overnight and a decline in the shares of mining giant Rio Tinto following its half-year results.

Oil prices fell about 2 per cent as a surprise increase in US crude stockpiles fed concerns about global oversupply, while investors worried that trade tensions could hit energy demand.

The S&P 500 and Dow have slipped as gains in Apple shares were offset by a drop in energy and industrial companies with the US Federal Reserve remaining on course for an expected interest rate hike in September.

The Australian share market has closed slightly lower as falls in banking and energy stocks offset gains in miners BHP and Rio Tinto, industrials and healthcare companies.

US stocks have risen as technology stocks rebounded and a report said the United States and China were trying to restart negotiations to defuse a trade war between world's two largest economies.

Australian shares have finished near-flat with solid gains for energy stocks and BHP failing to overcome weakness in industrial and consumer stocks.