Australian equities are poised to open lower on Monday as the Dow Jones index fell after weak US retail sales data.
US retail sales fell 0.9% in January, against analysts' expected drop of 0.1% amid the impact of wildfires in California and a harsh winter.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4%, the S&P 500 finished near even, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.3% lower.
In corporate news, Freightways Group (NZE:FRW, ASX:FRW) reported Monday that its earnings per diluted share in the fiscal first half rose to NZ$0.25 from NZ$0.23 per diluted share a year earlier.
Westpac Banking (ASX:WBC, NZE:WBC) reported Monday that its net profit, excluding notable items, for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 was AU$1.9 billion, up 3% from the quarter average in the second half of fiscal 2024.
Australia's benchmark index edged up 0.2% Friday to close at 8,555.80.
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