* Gold stocks record worst session in over two months
* Financial sub-index among gainers in Australia
* New Zealand set for worst session in two months
By Deepali Saxena
Aug 12 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell on Wednesday on worries that a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the country's second-most populous state would further slam economic activity, while gold stocks slumped after bullion prices plunged overnight.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 0.44% to 6,114.60 points by 0117 GMT, giving up nearly all of Tuesday's gains.
The state of Victoria, whose capital city of Melbourne was forced into another lockdown last week, recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic on Wednesday and the biggest daily rise in infections in three days. stocks .AXGD plunged nearly 5%, the most since May 27, after prices of the precious metal slumped overnight because of a broader lift in risk appetite. GOL/
Evolution Mining EVN.AX lost over 7% as it suspended operations at its Red Lake Gold mine in Canada due to a nearby forest fire threat. mining sub-index .AXMM dropped 1.9% to its lowest in a week, with global miners BHP Group BHP.AX and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX falling about 1% each.
Financial stocks .AXFJ were among the sole gainers in the benchmark index, rising 0.5%, led by Virgin Money (LON:VM) UK VUK.AX , up 4.8%.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX , the country's largest lender, dipped 0.4% after cutting its final dividend for the first time in more than a decade, as annual cash profit dropped 11.3%, narrowly missing analysts' estimates. Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 was down 1.4% at 11,486.27 by 0118 GMT, on course for its worst session since June 12, as consumer and tourism-related stocks fell.
The country's biggest city was preparing to go into lockdown again, following new coronavirus cases that ended a 102-day record run without any new infections. will also focus on New Zealand's central bank policy meeting later in the day, where it is widely expected to hold rates steady at a record low of 0.25%.