Australia Shares Set to Add to Recent Losses at Open

2114 GMT – The pressure on Australian equities shows no sign of abating, with local stock futures pointing to another lower open for the S&P/ASX 200. ASX futures are down by 0.2%, suggesting that the benchmark index, which started the week by falling to its lowest closing level in a year, will add to its recent losses. It has lost 3.3% across the last three sessions and is on course for a second straight annual loss for the first time since 2010-2011. Many local traders are waiting on Wednesday’s release of September-quarter inflation data, which Australia’s central bank has said will be crucial to its thinking on interest rates. In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6% and the S&P 500 slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq Composite inched 0.3% higher. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)