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SYDNEY, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Australian stocks steadied on Thursday after two punishing days thanks in part to a tentative bounce in some bank stocks, while upbeat profits saw appliance-maker Breville BRG.AX top the leader board.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO closed up 0.1 percent, or 6.2 points, at 4,881.20. The benchmark shed 2.5 percent in the past two sessions.
Most of the major banks enjoyed some reprieve. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX , National Australia Bank NAB.AX and Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX all finished higher. Commonwealth Bank CBA.AX eased 0.4 percent.
The standout performer was kitchen appliance maker Breville, which surged 12.1 percent after posting higher first-half profit and increasing its interim dividend. The market appeared to have shrugged off the company's warning of a "more unpredictable' future.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 took a breather after two sessions of gains. The benchmark dipped 0.1 percent, or 5.1 points, to close at 6,225.28.