Also, recent strong U.S. economic data had investors worried about aggressive interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Australia's biggest airline Qantas fell more than 5% despite the company reporting a record profit as it rebounded from five straight half-year losses. Miners became the biggest laggard on the index, falling 1.6% as iron-ore prices were restrained after China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) adjusted trading limits for certain contracts. Behemoths BHP Group , Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals toppled between 2.4% and 0.3%. Gold stocks slid 1.4%, after bullion fell as the U.S. dollar strengthened. Sector heavyweight Newcrest Mining slumped 1.3%.
Energy stocks chased oil prices lower to fall 0.6%, with sector major Woodside energy and Santos trailing 1.1% and 1.5%, respectively.
Financials , however, rose 0.3%, with the "big four" banks gaining between 0.1% and 0.5%. The healthcare index rose 0.8%, after Ramsay Healthcare soared more than 4% on upbeat results and outlook.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.4% to 11,839.14, after falling 0.1% on Wednesday as the Reserve bank of New Zealand hiked interest rates to a more than 14-year high of 4.75%.
Among individual stocks, Air New Zealand fell more
than 2%, after flagging macro and inflation risks.
(Reporting by Nausheen Thusoo in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi
Aich)
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