Australia Shares Shaping to Edge Lower at the Open

2239 GMT — Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 looks likely to edge lower at the open after U.S. equities lost steam amid a surprise interest-rate rise in neighboring Canada. ASX futures are down by 0.2%, suggesting that the benchmark index could be on course for a third consecutive decline. The S&P 500 briefly touched bull-market territory before finishing 0.4% lower. The tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.3%, although the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%. The ASX 200’s momentum was also dented this week by an interest-rate move. It snapped a three-day winning streak on Tuesday after the Reserve Bank of Australia raised the country’s cash rate by 25 basis points to an 11-year-high 4.1%. (stuart.condie@wsj.com; @StuartLCondie)