Australia Shares Shape to Pare Recent Declines

The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia is predicted to open with gains following a mixed performance by U.S. stocks. ASX futures indicate a 0.3% increase, suggesting that the index might break its pattern of three consecutive losses. In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose slightly by 0.1% as inflation data fueled optimism for a possible December interest-rate cut, whereas the S&P 500 remained unchanged and the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.3%. In Australia, Xero, a cloud-accounting software company, will release its half-year financial results on Thursday, and investors will be closely watching for the announcement of October employment figures for insights into future domestic interest rates.