Company Interview / the open: ASX to drop ahead of big earnings week

The Australian sharemarket is set to open lower, with ASX futures down 0.4%, following a sharp sell-off on Wall Street on Friday.The Dow Jones fell 1.2%, the S&P 500 lost 1.6%, and the Nasdaq dropped 2.2% - its worst session since April - as investors reacted to new US tariffs on key trading partners and a weaker-than-expected US jobs report. Amazon and Apple shares were among the major drags. Brent crude slipped 2.8% to US$69.67 a barrel amid concerns of increased OPEC supply and softening demand. Gold rose 1.5% to just under US$3400 an ounce, driven by safe-haven flows. The Aussie has strengthened to US64.75c. Ahead today, the Melbourne Institute’s inflation gauge is released, along with earnings results from Beach Energy and Argo Investments.