SYDNEY: Australian shares may lack momentum early on Thursday, caught between another record for US stocks and weaker commodities prices that could hurt miners, with investors waiting on local employment data for further direction.
Stock index futures shed 2 points to 5,097.0, but were still at a 4.6 point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. The benchmark fell 0.5 percent on Wednesday.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.4 percent to 4,357.9 in early trade.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose for the ninth straight session to another record, buoyed by surprisingly strong retail sales that suggested the economy is gaining momentum.
Copper slipped as a stronger dollar weighed on prices for the base metals complex, although falls in aluminium and zinc were capped as China's plans to buy the metals for strategic stocks underpinned the outlook for demand.
Australian jobs data for February is due at 0030 GMT. The unemployment rate is forecast to rise a notch to 5.5 percent despite employment rising by 9,000, a Reuters poll shows.
<Center><b><i>Copyright Reuters, 2013</b></i><br></center>
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