(Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to edge up on Friday, snapping three straight sessions of losses, with material stocks leading the gains on a jump in base metal prices.
Copper climbed on Thursday on a strong performance by China's industrial sector, while Chinese iron ore futures rose as firmer steel prices helped the raw material rebound after a five-day slide, with coke prices also recovering.
The local share price index futures <YAPcm1> rose 0.3 percent, or 20 points, to 5972, a 42.6-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index <.AXJO> close. The benchmark ended flat on Thursday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index <.NZ50> rose 0.1 percent in early trade.
(Reporting by Christina Martin in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
