The Australian dollar has fallen sharply towards its lowest level in almost a year, on concerns over the state of the US economy cause.

It had to come — another big Wall Street sell-off — and I should have predicted it when my charts guy Lance Lai called me yesterday and asked whether I saw ..

Local 10-year bond futures are trading near all-time highs, as fears about the state of the US economy cause massive losses on global markets overnight.

US oil prices plunged more than $US5 ($A4.98) on Thursday, hit by a stronger US dollar amid fears for the weak US economy and the recession threat

Shares in Australia's largest rare earths miner Lynas Corporation dropped as the firm posted a 33 per cent jump in full year losses

US stocks halted their downward slide on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovering just above the break-even mark at the close.