By Cecile Lefort
SYDNEY, May 9 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set for a firm start on Monday following a rise on Wall Street, while a rebound in commodities is likely to underpin natural resources stocks.
Local stock index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.4 percent to 5,270.0, a 22-point discount to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO on Friday. The benchmark rose 0.8 percent last week, having touched a six-month high on Tuesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 eased 0.2 percent to 6,882.14 in early trade, having gained more than 1 percent last week when it scaled a fresh record.
For a summary of overnight action across global markets, double click on AU/CALL
For a digest of the day's business stories in Australian newspapers, double click on PRESS/AUB