July 20 (Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to open
little changed on Monday as investors weigh a surge in
Victoria's COVID-19 cases against stimulus prospects from the
European Union and the U.S. Congress.
Australia's second most populous state reported 363 fresh
infections on Sunday, prompting authorities to make masks
mandatory in its capital Melbourne.
However, markets around the globe closed higher on Friday on
prospects of stimulus to aid the virus-hit world economy.
The local share price index futures rose 0.03%, a
29.6-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index
close. The benchmark rose 0.4% on Friday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.5%
to 11,640.01 in early trade.
(Reporting by Arundhati Dutta in Bengaluru)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.