ASX set to follow Wall Street lower; UK in lockdown again

Summary

• The ASX is expected to mirror Wall Street’s overnight decline ahead of the crucial Georgia Senate run-off. ASX futures were down 0.5% 
• The UK has entered a third national COVID lockdown. The FTSE 100 had earlier risen in the first day of trade since Britain’s exit from the EU
• NSW recorded zero new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Monday. However, two cases, which will be included in Tuesday’s numbers, are both linked to the Berala cluster in western Sydney. Victoria recorded three new cases of local transmission from 32,468 tests, with an additional positive case in a returned traveller in hotel quarantine
• The Aussie dollar lost ground overnight and was last 76.63 US cents. Gold jumped 2.3% to $US1942 an ounce, iron ore rose 3% to $US165.29 a tonne