SYDNEY, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Australian stocks are set for a slippery start on Monday, tracking Wall Street's sharp fall on Friday on sliding oil prices and worries about global growth.
Stock index futures YAPcm1 dropped 1.8 percent to 4,745.0, a 147.8-point discount to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO on Friday.
Global miner BHP Billiton (L:BLT) BHP.AX is expected to open sharply lower after its U.S. ADRs BHP.N tumbled 2 percent on Friday.
The benchmark index has dropped 7.6 percent this year and touched a 2-1/2-year low. Investors have been rocked by worries about declining commodity prices and concerns about China's economic growth.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 dropped 1.6 percent to touch a one-month low of 6,071.54 in early trade. The index has shed 4 percent so far this year.
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