March 3 (Reuters) - Australian shares were set to rise at the open on Wednesday, as investors remained upbeat on recovery hopes ahead of the country's fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data, which is expected to have further improved.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.3%, a 17.3-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark finished 0.4% lower on Tuesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.3% by 2120 GMT.