Dec 5 (Reuters) - Australian shares are expected to edge lower at the opening on Tuesday ahead of a central bank interest rate meeting to be held later in the day.
Analysts polled by Reuters expected the Reserve Bank of Australia to keep its cash rate at a record low of 1.5 percent at its December policy meeting. local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.5 percent, or 30 points to 5,966, a 19.6 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark ended down 0.07 percent on Monday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 was 0.1 percent, or 7.75 points, lower at 8,177.12 at 2106 GMT.