ASX Set for Flat Start as Wall Street Rallies and Oil Prices Retreat

The Australian sharemarket is expected to start marginally lower on Tuesday, with futures pointing to a one-point decline after local stocks pushed above 9,000 and Wall Street began August with strong gains.

Investors will continue to assess developments in the conflict between the United States and Iran, with hopes of diplomatic talks pushing oil prices sharply lower but conflicting reports from Tehran maintaining uncertainty.

The S&P/ASX 200 is set for a largely unchanged start as attention turns to Australian economic data and the accelerating corporate reporting season. Key releases include ANZ job advertisements and June household spending figures, while upcoming company results include Pinnacle Investment Management on Wednesday, REA Group on Thursday, and James Hardie Industries and Nick Scali on Friday.