Feb 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to open lower on Friday, tracking Wall Street lower as an unexpected rise in weekly U.S. jobless claims suggested a weak recovery in the labor market, with a slump in Big Tech firms further weighing.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.5%, a 80.9-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark ended flat on Thursday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell marginally in early trade.