SYDNEY, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to open lower for a third consecutive session on Thursday as the benchmark lingers near a three-week low, under pressure from a weaker iron ore price.
Local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.5 percent to 5,055.0, a 25-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close on Tuesday. The benchmark fell 0.55 percent in the last session.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.26 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