Investing.com - Australian shares are expected to climb at Thursday's open, following a mixed session among US benchmark averages overnight.
By 9:30 am AEST (11:30 pm GMT), ASX 200 futures were trading 1.3% higher.
Among company news, Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADX:ADNOCDIST) are reportedly evaluating potential bids for Santos Ltd (ASX:STO), according to Bloomberg, as the Middle Eastern energy powerhouses look to expand their gas investments overseas.
In the US, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite both closed at record highs, gaining 0.5% and 0.9% respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.1%, weighed down by declines in Unitedhealth Group (NYSE:UNH), Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN).
The US markets are set to remain closed on Thursday in observance of Independence Day.
In the bond markets, the Australia 10-Year and 2-year rates were at 4.458% and 4.286% respectively, while United States 10-Year yields were at 4.365%.