April 17 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to open lower on Wednesday, weighed down by gold stocks, even as investors likely stay cautious ahead of China's first-quarter GDP data due later in the day, looking for leads to the economic health of Australia's biggest trade partner.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.3 percent or 17 points, a 25.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark rose 0.4 percent on Tuesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.1 percent to 9,920.48 in early trade.