Monday, 16 March 2015 02:57
SYDNEY: Australian shares are set to open lower on Monday, with top stock BHP Billiton and the energy sector under pressure from weaker oil prices, and National Australia Bank weighed down by uncertainty over the outlook for its UK assets.
Local share price index futures fell 0.2 percent to 5,801.0 to sit at a 13.5-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 0.7 percent last Friday.
New Zealand’s benchmark NZX 50 index gained 5.1 points to 5,913.7 in early trade.
Sandfire Resources Ltd may fall after OZ Minerals Ltd sold its 19 percent stake in its fellow copper miner on Friday at a small discount to Sandfire’s last trade of A$ 4.275.
Copyright Reuters, 2015
