The ASX 200 is expected to open flat on Monday as global markets brace for U.S. earnings this week, as well as local inflation data due on Wednesday.
By 7:00 am AEDT (8:00 pm GMT) was down just 2 points at 8,237.
Last week, Wall Street offered a mixed lead, with the S&P 500 closing up 0.1% on Friday but down 0.9% for the week, marking its first weekly decline since early September.
Oil prices are anticipated to dip when markets reopen, as Israel's weekend strike on Iran avoided oil and nuclear infrastructure.
Iron ore saw a modest 1.8% rise on Friday but ended the week down, while gold posted a 1% gain amid U.S. election uncertainty,
This week’s bond market volatility could increase as the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) rate cut timeline hinges on the latest inflation figures.
Wednesday’s release of Australia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) is projected to show annual inflation easing to 2.9% for the quarter ending September, while trimmed mean inflation - a core measure closely watched by the RBA - is expected to decline to 3.5%.
The week ahead will also be critical for Wall Street as around 150 S&P 500 companies report quarterly earnings, including five of the major “Magnificent Seven” stocks: Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Amazon.
On the bond markets, 10-year and 2-year rates were at 4.454% and 3.975%, respectively.