(Reuters) - Australian shares are expected to edge lower at the opening on Tuesday ahead of a central bank interest rate meeting to be held later in the day.
Analysts polled by Reuters expected the Reserve Bank of Australia to keep its cash rate at a record low of 1.5 percent at its December policy meeting.
The local share price index futures <YAPcm1> fell 0.5 percent, or 30 points to 5,966, a 19.6 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index <.AXJO> close. The benchmark ended down 0.07 percent on Monday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index <.NZ50> was 0.1 percent, or 7.75 points, lower at 8,177.12 at 2106 GMT.
(Reporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
