Sept 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to open higher on Wednesday after three consecutive sessions of losses, tracking gains on Wall Street bolstered by better-than-expected U.S. manufacturing activity, which fueled optimism about the economic recovery.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.4%, a 3.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark fell 1.8% on Tuesday.
Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose up to 0.5% in early trade.