Australian shares likely to rise as trade optimism keeps sentiment upbeat

Australian shares are set to open higher on Friday, following a rally on Wall Street sparked by renewed hopes of trade deal after the United States and China agreed to hold talks next month.

The two countries agreed to hold talks in early October in Washington.

The local share price index futures rose 0.2%, a 3.2-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. The benchmark closed 0.9% higher on Thursday.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.5% to 11,158.92 in early trade.