Feb 15 (Reuters) - Australian shares are poised for a positive start to the week on Monday as investors take a cue from Wall Street, which ended last week at record closing levels buoyed by hopes of a new fiscal aid package from Washington.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.55%, a 26.7-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark lost 0.6% on Friday.
Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.7% in early trade.
New Zealand announced a three-day lockdown on Sunday in its biggest city Auckland after three COVID-19 cases emerged, the first local infections since late January.