Australia shares may edge down, focus on earnings

SYDNEY, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares are seen
opening with a softer tone on Tuesday on a fall in metals
prices, but sentiment remains supportive after a three-month
rally that has taken the market to 4-1/2 year highs.

* Share price index futures slipped 0.1 percent to
5038.0, a 25.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200
index. The benchmark rose 0.6 percent on Monday to its
highest close since September 2008.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose O.2
percent to 4,224.4 in early trade.
* U.S. financial markets were closed on Monday for a public
holiday.
* Copper prices dipped to a near three-week low on Monday as
signs of weak global growth dampened the demand outlook for
industrial metals, with the focus on buying interest from top
consumer China after the week-long Lunar New Year holidays.
* Ports and rail operator Asciano Ltd reported a
first-half profit after tax of $199.9 million and expected
full-year capital expenditure would be in the $700-$800 range
projected in its FY 2012 final result.
* Telecom New Zealand said it, Vodafone and
Australia's Telstra will build a $60 million
trans-Tasman submarine cable.
* The chief executive, chairman and independent directors of
Australia's APN News & Media resigned on Monday after
major shareholder Independent News & Media said it had
lost confidence in management and scuppered a planned capital
raising.
APN shares were on a trading halt on Monday after closing at
A$0.30. The stock has crashed from a high of A$6.16 in 2007.

----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2212 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG
S&P 500 1519.79 -0.1% -1.590
USD/JPY 93.93 -0.02% -0.020
10-YR US TSY YLD 2.0052 -- 0.000
SPOT GOLD 1609.55 0.00% 0.000
US CRUDE 95.53 -0.34% -0.330
DOW JONES 13981.76 0.06% 8.37
ASIA ADRS 136.35 -0.34% -0.46
-------------------------------------------------------------

* Wall St closed on Monday for public holiday
* Brent steadies below $118, global growth hopes support
* Gold edges lower on lower euro, absent U.S. players
* Copper falls to near 3-week low on growth concerns

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(Reporting By Maggie Lu Yueyang; Editing by John Mair)