Share prices in Australia are expected to open weaker on Thursday amid mixed signals from the United States and ahead of retail trade data.
At 9:40 am AEDT (10:25 pm GMT) the S&P/ASX 200 share price index futures March contract was trading 31 points (0.37%) lower at 8,342 points.
While the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 gained 0.3% and 0.2% respectively on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), the Nasdaq Composite eased 0.1% after the Federal Reserve’s December meeting minutes underlined continuing inflation worries.
Stocks in focus will include Star Entertainment Group which revealed its difficulties in meeting the conditions needed to draw down funds to replenish its depleted cash levels.
In Australia on Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.8% to 8,349.1 after a fall in underlying inflation lifted hopes of an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) at its February board meeting. This continued a five-day rally in Australian stocks.
Investors will get more economic figures at 11:30 am AEDT (12:30 am GMT) with the Australian Bureau of Statistics publishing the November data for retail trade, which had risen for three successive months to the end of October.
On fixed interest markets, at 9:50 am AEDT 10-year Australian Government rates were 0.29% higher at 4.539% and two-year rates were flat at 3.924%.