The Aussie market is poised to open flat later this morning, after falls on Wall Street overnight ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's expected update of US monetary policy in Congress.

The March SPI futures contract is up seven points, at 5871.

Yellen appears Tuesday and Wednesday (US time) for Capitol Hill hearings that will offer the Fed its first major forum since minutes from the central bank's last meeting suggested the US central bank was dovish about lifting interest rates.

In local economic news today, the ANZ-Roy Morgan weekly consumer confidence survey is due out.

In equities news, QBE, Scentre Group, Petsec Energy and Oil Search are slated to post full year results.

BHP Billiton, Patties Foods, Flight Centre, Specialty Fashion, Village Roadshow, Hills, Spotless Group and Regional Express are among the companies expected to release half year results.

Key numbers:

• SPI futures up 9pts at 5871
• AUD at 77.89 US cents, 92.77 Japanese yen, 68.77 Euro cents and 50.46 British pence
• In late trade, S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq flat
• In Europe, Stoxx 50 +0.8%, FTSE flat, CAC +0.7%, DAX +0.7%
• Spot gold down 58 US cents to $US1201.36 an ounce
• Brent oil slips $US1.33 or 2.2% to $US58.89 per barrel
• Iron ore is fetching $US63.44 per tonne

What’s on today:

US existing home sales.

Australia weekly consumer sentiment; US S&P home prices, consumer confidence, US Federal Reserve testimony.

Stocks to watch:

Earnings expected from BHP Billiton, Caltex Australia, NIB Holdings, Oil Search

Macquarie Wealth Management has an “outperform” on Sims Metal Management and a 12-month price target of $13.20 a share after the company reported first half 0215 results that were “above our expectations”.

Deutsche Bank raised its 12-month price target on Slater and Gordon to $8.20 a share and retained its “buy” recommendation.

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