SYDNEY, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Australian shares are expected to open lower on Friday as increasingly gloomy forecasts about the prices of oil and iron ore weigh on energy and mining stocks.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 were down 42.0 points or 0.8 percent at 5,013.0, an 89-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. On Thursday, the benchmark ended up 73.55 points or 1.5 percent at 5,102.0 at the close of trade.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index .NZ50 was up 11.3 points or 0.2 percent at 6,099.6 in early trade.
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