SYDNEY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to start the week with a firm tone, tracking an increase on Wall Street on expectations the Federal Reserve would gradually increase interest rates once lift off begins.
Mining stocks, however, could cap gains with BHP Billiton (L:BLT) BHP.AX expected to open sharply lower after a 1.9 percent slide in its U.S. ADRs BHP.N on Friday. Prices of iron ore, Australia's top export earner, hovered near their lowest since 2008. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13F2B3
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 edged down 0.1 percent to 5,259, but that was a 2.9-point premium to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO on Friday. The benchmark leapt 4 percent last week, the second largest gain in four years.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index .NZ50 was flat in early trade at 6,013.23, having gained 0.3 percent last week.
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