Aussie stocks set for flat start on soft leads 56 reading now Australian shares are expected to open flat after US stocks fell on weak housing data and ahead of a key Fed meeting, while European markets were steady ahead of a busy week of earnings news. On the ASX24, the SPI futures contract was 3 points higher 5013. The Aussie dollar was buying 92.01 US cents, down about half a US cents on yesterday's local close. It was also buying 89.97 yen, 69.32 euro cents and 59.89 British pence. SPI futures are 3 points higher at 5013 The $A is lower at 92.01 US cents In New York, the S&P500 lost 0.37% to 1685.37 In Europe, the FTSE100 added 0.08% to 6560.25 China iron ore lost 90 US cents to $US131.70 a metric tonne Gold was steady at $US1329.90 an ounce WTI crude oil lost 15 US cents to $US104.55 a barrel Reuters/Jefferies CRB index lost 0.29% at 283.63 ABS releases building approvals for June Housing Industry Association Trades report for June quarter Speech by Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Glenn Stevens to The Anika Foundation Luncheon, Supported by Australian Business Economists and Macquarie Bank Woolworths fourth quarter sales ALS annual general meeting Drillsearch Energy quarterly report Navitas full year results Evolution Mining cut to neutral at Credit Suisse Perseus Mining rated new hold at Jennings Capital Suncorp downgraded to hold at Deutsche Bank Insurance Australia cut to sell at Deutsche Bank Sigma Pharmaceuticals cut to underperform at Credit Suisse Chorus raised to neutral at JPMorgan US stocks fell ahead of a busy week of economic news that includes a Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting and the monthly jobs report. Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.24% to 15,521.97 S&P 500 lost 0.37% to 1,685.33 Nasdaq Composite Index lost 0.39% to 3,599.14 European stock markets ended mostly flat, ceding early gains ahead of a busy week as earnings season comes into full swing, dealers said. London's FTSE 100 added 0.08% to 6,560.25 Frankfurt's DAX 30 added 0.17% to 8259.03 In Paris the CAC 40 in Paris was flat at 3968.91 Most Asian markets fell, with Tokyo skidding more than three per cent as the yen rose against the US dollar before policy meetings of the US and European central banks. Japan's Nikkei lost 3.32% to 13,661.13 China's Shanghai composite lost 1.72% to 1,976.31 Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.54% to 21850.15 The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index inched up 4.3 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 5046.3, while the broader All Ordinaries index added 4.1 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 5027.9.