Australian shares are set to open lower on Wednesday following a mixed session on Wall Street overnight as investors digested weaker-than-expected consumer confidence data.
By 9:45 am AEDT 10:45 pm GMT) ASX 200 futures were pointing 0.3%, suggesting the index will open at six-week lows of 8,196.
Investor sentiment remained fragile as the latest Conference Board consumer confidence index dropped seven points in February to 98.3 - the steepest monthly fall in over three years—highlighting growing economic concerns amid uncertainty over the Trump administration’s policies.
Meanwhile, in Australia, potential U.S. tariffs on copper could dampen investor confidence, particularly in the resources sector.
Domestically, investors await the release of January's monthly consumer price index at 11:30 a.m. AEDT, with forecasts pointing to an annual inflation rate of 2.6%, up from 2.5% in December.
Among reporting companies, Flight Centre announced a 31% fall in net profit after tax (NPAT) for the first half of the 2025 financial year
Woolworths swung to a net profit of A$739 million for the six months to December 31.
Scentre Group posted a full-year net profit of $1.05 billion, as property values improved.
On the bond markets, 10-year and 2-year rates were slightly higher at 4.359% and 3.779%, respectively.
