SYDNEY, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Australian shares were poised for another strong day on Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street, with a commodity rally underpinning sentiment.
Local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.5 percent, an 8.7-point premium to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO on Tuesday.
The benchmark touched a one-month high in the last session to close 1.1 percent higher.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 reached a record high in early trade. The benchmark has gained 13 percent so far this year in contrast to its Australian cousin, down 2.6 percent.
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