2211 GMT - Australian stocks look set to extend their losses in early trade and stay on course for a third straight weekly decline. Local stock futures are down by 0.1% ahead of Friday's session, suggesting that the S&P/ASX 200 will follow U.S. equities lower amid continued worries about the impact of the Iran conflict on the global economy. The Australian benchmark index is coming off a 1.7% drop and is 1.4% lower so far this week. It has dropped 7.6% in March. Ahead of the open, retailer Premier Investments restored its interim dividend and flagged turnaround plans for its Smiggle stationery business. In the U.S., the DJIA slipped 0.4%, the S&P 500 fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.3%.(stuart.condie@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 18:11 ET (22:11 GMT)
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