Australia shares set to slip, Westpac profit misses forecasts

MELBOURNE, May 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares are poised to

fall on Monday after Chinese manufacturing data for April cast

doubt over the strength of a pick-up in the economy and no.3

lender Westpac Banking Corp reported

weaker-than-expected half year earnings.

Local share price index futures fell 0.1 percent

ahead of the Chinese data and Westpac's results to 5,225.0. The

benchmark rose 0.5 percent last Friday.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index slipped 0.2

percent to 6,804.76 in

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