SYDNEY, May 26 (Reuters) - Australian shares are expected to climb on Thursday for the second straight session of gains, helped by positive cues from Wall Street and firmer oil.
Local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.6 percent overnight to 5,402, sitting at a 29.5-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO . The benchmark bounced off a two-week low to end 1.5 percent higher on Wednesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 inched up 0.1 percent to 6,915.33 in early deals.
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