The Australian dollar is edging closer to a 70s-handle, dropping to a new four-year low of US82.35¢ on Tuesday on the back of poor business confidence figures and another major bank switching into the rate cut camp.

Big in the ’70s and ’80s, talk of stagflation has reared its head again. What is it, and are we heading for a new era of it?

Local stocks sink, led down by a rout in the energy sector as BHP plunges below $29 and Santos crashes, while the dollar dives again as NAB joins the rate-cut camp.

The Australian dollar dropped more than half a cent in short order to crash below 82 US cents, while a rally in energy stocks and miners have helped the ASX 200 snap - just - a six-day losing streak.

An increased risk of bushfires is being cited by the electricity industry as it starts its campaign against cuts recommended for power prices in NSW.

The long-time speechwriter for Qantas chief Alan Joyce warned she would 'go guerrilla' if the airline tried to stop her from writing a tell-all book about her time at Qantas.

Crowd-sourced equity funding to help start-ups in Australia looks a step closer, with the Abbott government releasing a new discussion paper.

The dive in Santos's share price to 10-year lows has turned market attention to the assets the oil and gas producer may consider for sale, as well as whether the whole company could turn into a target for a larger player.

The corporate data hack on Sony Corp has been manna from heaven for social media and the celeb-sites that feed it.

A Glencore merger with Rio Tinto would be damaging for Australia and ought to be, and very likely will be, knocked on the head by the Foreign Investment Review Board.

Morgan Stanley has admitted it was wrong on Qantas, upgrading its guidance to “overweight”, as the airline's shares rally for a second day.

Ten ASX companies have been recognised for their charitable giving with up to 65 per cent of employees at some companies donating to charity on a regular basis.

A new program is helping ensure more jobs are accessible to all.

Investor fears of much tougher recommendations from David Murray’s Financial Services Inquiry have not come to fruition.

BHP Billiton says the company it plans to demerge in 2015 will have global aspirations, despite bestowing it with a name that recognises its focus on the southern hemisphere.

Treasury Joe Hockey's warnings over the budget helped send the market down.

Oil prices fell by more than a dollar on Monday to near their lowest levels since 2009 after Morgan Stanley cut its price forecast for Brent, saying oversupply will likely peak next year with OPEC deciding not to cut output.

Santa may come early for shoppers if the department store chains decide to bring forward their end-of-year clearance sales after weeks of patchy trading

The market tumult over the growing risk that Britons will vote to leave the EU may seem irrational, or at least overdone. It's not.

Qantas shares surge after the airline flags a pre-tax underlying profit of $300 million to $350 million for the December half, helped by cost cuts and lower fuel costs.

The success or failure of the Murray inquiry's recommendations will depend on the government, the industry and the regulator’s appetite for change.

Travellers are expected to benefit “substantially” from lower oil prices, with global airlines forecast to drop average return ticket prices by 5.1 per cent next year after adjusting for inflation, according to the latest airline industry forecast.

Mining giant BHP Billiton says iron ore prices are unlikely to eclipse $US100 a tonne again, with expectations of steel consumption growth in China slowing further next year.

Next year is shaping as another pivotal one for financial markets. We have asked a number of top investors and analysts which indicator they will be watching particularly closely.

The financial planning industry is set for a massive overhaul of its education standards, level of professionalism and ethics.