Australian shares are set to open higher on Friday, tracking Wall Street's gains on the back of strong earnings and a pickup in US economic growth. An extended lockdown in the most populous state of New South Wales, however, continues to weigh on sentiment.
The local share price index futures rose nearly 0.1%, a 79.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close.
The benchmark closed higher on Thursday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.1% in early trade.