Jan 13 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to open slightly lower on Friday, tracking Wall Street which slid as investors awaited details of President-elct Donald Trump's economic policy, though materials and energy stocks could soften the benchmark's decline.
Financials led the decline on the S&P 500 index and Australian banks may follow suit. .N
Oil rose on supply cuts and record China demand forecast, base metals gained on the weakening dollar, while iron ore was lifted by Beijing's campaign to shave excess steel production capacity. O/R MET/L IRONORE/
Local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.1 percent, or 7 points, to 5,735, a 31.9-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark fell 0.1 percent in the previous session.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 treaded water in early trade.
For a summary of overnight action across global markets, double click on AU/CALL
For a digest of the day's business stories in Australian newspapers, double click on PRESS/AUB