Investing.com - Australian shares are poised for a muted open as Wall Street struggled for direction ahead of key US inflation data. The latest geopolitical developments in Ukraine and the Middle East have also dampened investor appetite for risk.
By 8:25 am AEST, ASX 200 Futures were up 0.5%.
Challenger Ltd (ASX:CGF), CSL Ltd (ASX:CSL), Seek Ltd (ASX:SEK), and Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX:TPW) are set to release earnings on Tuesday.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 closed flat, the NASDAQ Composite added 0.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.4%.
Just a week after panic selling shook global markets, equities swung between small gains and losses. With Wall Street still recovering from last Monday’s wild fluctuations, many investors are cautious and refraining from big bets as they await more signals about the trajectory of markets and the health of the US economy.
According to Bloomberg, while the US consumer price index likely saw a modest increase in July, annual metrics are expected to continue rising at a slow pace.
Among local companies, building products group James Hardie Industries PLC (ASX:JHX) posted a 1% lift to $236 million in adjusted earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to a year ago and maintained its guidance for fiscal 2025.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year and 2-year rates were at 4.071% and 3.733%, respectively.