Australian stocks look set to move higher at the start of the country's new financial year. Local equities futures are up by 0.1% ahead of Wednesday's session, suggesting that the S&P/ASX 200 will recover some of the ground lost in Tuesday's 0.5% slip. The benchmark index still closed out a third straight monthly gain that completed a 3.5% rise for the June quarter. Ahead of the open, fuel refiner Ampol said it had completed the acquisition of gas station operator EG Group. Australia's competition regulator said it blocked supermarket operator Coles from buying a site in Kalgoorlie. In the U.S., the DJIA rose 0.3% to close at a record. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.5%, both indices closing out their best quarters in six years. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)