The Australian Securities Exchange is expected to open little changed on Monday followed a weaker finish in New York last week.
The ASX 200 index should be around the previous close when trading resumes at 10:00 am (11:00 pm GMT Sunday), based on ASX futures trading quoting the March share price index contract one point below the prior settlement at 8,876 points.
The tone was set in the United States, where the main stock indexes fell slightly on Friday ahead of a long weekend due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day public holiday on Monday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.2% while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite eased 0.1% after comments by U.S. President Donald Trump on the Federal Reserve and global trade.
"To finish the week around flat with the S&P 500 still within spitting distance of 7,000 - most investors will take that as a win two weeks into the year," Ameriprise Financial Chief Market Strategist Anthony Saglimbene was quoted saying in a Reuters story.
"One of the other reasons markets have been flat-lining is we're at the start of the earnings season.
"Bank earnings are showing a generally favourable economic and business backdrop. Now we're going to start seeing other companies tied to other sectors, and that's going to give us a better take on fundamental conditions."
The Australian market had risen 0.5% to finish at a 50-day high on Friday, supported by record production at mining companies, with the ASX 200 ending at 8,903.90 points.
In economic news today, the Melbourne Institute monthly inflation gauge is scheduled to be published.
In fixed interest markets, Australian Government bond yields rose, with two-year rates quoted up 0.015% at 4.035% and 10 year rates 0.40% higher at 4.727%.
