Feb 28 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to open little changed on Thursday, with expected gains in energy stocks from rising oil prices to be offset by risk-off sentiment after cautionary U.S. comments on trade talks with China.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said it was too early to predict an outcome in U.S.-China trade talks and that issues with China are "too serious" to be resolved with promises from Beijing to purchase more U.S. goods. local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.08 percent, a 14.3-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark rose 0.4 percent on Wednesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.1 percent or 13.02 points to 9,294.49 in early trade.