Australia shares seen with a mixed start, NZ stocks up

SYDNEY, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to

see cautious trade at the open on Friday with falling iron ore

prices likely to cap gains.

Local share price index futures edged down 0.1

percent to 5,030, a 7.7-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX

200 index close on Thursday.

The benchmark touched a one-month low in the last session

and was on track for a 2.2 percent decline this week. Miners BHP

Billiton and Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO.L - news) have been hit hard on

weakening prices of iron ore, Australia's largest export earner.

New Zealand's benchmark NZX (Other OTC: NZSTF - news) 50 index edged up 0.4

percent to 6,063.19 in early trade, but was still down half a

percent for the week.

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(Reporting by Cecile Lefort; Editing by Toby Chopra)