Australian Sharemarket Faces Subdued Start Amid Inflation Jitters

The Australian sharemarket is poised for a subdued start on Thursday, with futures suggesting a minor decline as investors weigh the prospect of another Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) interest rate rise.

Household spending and private capital expenditure figures will also be released, adding to the day's economic data. Meanwhile, several major corporations are set to announce their quarterly results, including Wesfarmers, Mineral Resources, Perpetual, Karoon Energy, Atlas Arteria, Qantas, and Ramsay Health Care.

On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 initially rose but then dropped 36.8 points, or 0.4%, to finish at 9,127.80. The decline came after hotter-than-expected inflation data revived expectations of another RBA rate increase.