Feb 26 (Reuters) - Australian shares were poised to slump at open on Wednesday, the fourth straight session of declines, as the rapid global spread of the coronavirus beyond China rattled risk sentiment.
With an acceleration of confirmed virus cases in several countries such as South Korea and Iran, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late on Wednesday said Americans should begin to prepare for the U.S. spread of the new coronavirus. local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 2.3%, a 198.6-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark closed down 1.6% on Tuesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 declined 1.9% by 2107 GMT.