SYDNEY, April 22 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to open lower on Friday following a negative lead from Wall Street, with investors likely to lock in some profits after three straight sessions of gains.
Pointing to a lower open, share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.6 percent to 5,228.0, a 44.7-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO . The benchmark rose 1.1 percent on Thursday to its highest close so far this year.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 slipped 0.3 percent to 6,882.5 in early trade, pulling away from a record high of 6,917.57 set on Thursday.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For a summary of overnight action across global markets, click on
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