SYDNEY, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares were poised for a strong start on Thursday, helped by indications from the U.S. Federal Reserve that the world's biggest economy is strong enough to cope with a rate hike next month.
Soft commodity prices were likely to be an overhang for investors, though.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 1.1 percent, a 52.9-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO . The benchmark ended 0.3 percent higher on Wednesday.
BHP Billiton (L:BLT) BHP.AX will be on the radar ahead of its annual general meeting and a news conference later in the day.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index .NZ50 was barely changed at 5,981.04 points 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