SYDNEY, May 18 (Reuters) - Australian shares are poised to open lower on Wednesday under pressure from a weaker Wall Street, which fell on expectations of an interest rates rise.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.5 percent to 5,369.0, a 26.8 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark rose 0.7 percent on Tuesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.225 percent in early trade.
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