Global sharemarkets are due for a modest post-Easter rise this week, as the March United States employment report and other key economic numbers are likely to provide positive news for investors.
The NZX50 opens today at 6662 and commentators are predicting an eight to 10-point rise during the day.
In Australia, the market is tentatively tipped to open 10 to 15 points higher after finishing 1% lower heading into the Easter break.
The positive outlook from AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver comes after Chinese and Japanese shares rose over the weekend and GDP figures showed the US economy grew more than expected in the fourth quarter.
‘‘The lead-in looks OK at the moment for a modest rise here, but of course there is another night's trading in the US before our market opens,'' Dr Oliver told AAP.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for February job vacancies are due to be released on Thursday, along with credit growth information from the Reserve Bank.
RP Data's house price figures for March are tipped to show continuing modest growth when they are released on Friday.
And investors will closely watch US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen's speech on the economy in New York tomorrow for any clue on the future of interest rates there.
Any sign by Dr Yellen on US rates could have an impact on the transtasman currencies.
Comments from Fed officials last week hinted at a slightly more aggressive rate hike path than investors had been expecting, dampening some enthusiasm for stocks.
Strong economic data this week could signal a more aggressive Fed, considered negative for the markets.
US Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis President James Bullard warned the next interest rate increase might not be far off, provided the economy evolved as expected.
He made the comments in prepared remarks for the New York Association for Business Economics.
Traders are pricing in an 8% chance for an April hike and about 39% probability for an increase at the Fed's June meeting, according to Bloomberg.
Dr Oliver said the US was still on track to raise interest rates.
He predicted the Australian currency would probably remain soft.
‘‘I don't see the Aussie dollar going a lot higher from here. It's largely had its upswing for now,'' he said.
Major US indices remain well above their 2016 lows, thanks to evidence of a reviving US economy and a sharp rebound in oil prices.
While the volatility marking the start of the year has diminished, and many strategists have adopted a cautiously optimistic outlook, the US market seems to have paused.
The Friday US data showed even as gross domestic product - economic growth - increased at a 1.4% annual rate instead of the previously reported 1% pace, corporate profits from current production fell $US160billion ($NZ240billion) in the fourth quarter.
A catalyst for stocks could come from a rebound in corporate earnings.
First-quarter earnings estimates have collapsed since the start of the year and in some cases may have fallen too far, perhaps setting the stage for an upbeat profit season.
US earnings are expected to be down for a third consecutive reporting season, Thomson Reuters data shows.
Analysts now expect a first-quarter earnings fall of nearly 7%, which would be the largest drop since the third quarter of 2009, sharply below the 2.3% gain they had been projecting as recently as January 1.
Forecasts are for the US non-farm payrolls to have increased by 200,000 jobs in March when data is released on Friday, down from February's gains of 242,000 jobs.
Housing data will include pending home sales.
