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Feb 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares eased slightly on Thursday, led by real estate stocks, as the Australian dollar rallied on data that showed a record trade surplus last month.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 7.76 points, or 0.14 percent, to 5,645.4 at the close of trade.
The Australian dollar AUD=D4 surged 0.7 percent to $0.7639, after the country reported a larger-than-expected trade surplus thanks to surging commodity prices. typically look to book profits when the Aussie rises against the U.S. dollar, an analyst said.
Real estate stocks were a main driver behind the market's decline.
Shopping centres operator Scentre Group SCG.AX fell 1.13 percent, while property company Stockland Corporation Ltd SGP.AX slipped 1.37 percent.
Three of the 'Big 4' banks slipped and Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX was flat.
Qantas Airways Ltd QAN.AX eased 1.2 percent, while rival Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd VAH.AX closed 2.3 percent weaker.
The losses offset gains in the commodities industry, which usually finds support from a declining U.S. dollar.
Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) Ltd RIO.AX climbed 0.22 percent, major gold producer Newcrest Mining Ltd NCM.AX rose 2.17 percent, and South32 Ltd S32.AX ended 0.7 percent higher.
OceanaGold Corp OGC.AX , however, shed 17.8 percent after the Philippine mining minister ordered the suspension of some of its mines, citing environmental destruction. materials index .AXMJ rose 0.2 percent, while the metals index .AXMM rose 0.43 percent.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.03 percent, or 1.96 points, to finish the session at 7,053.54.
A 1.8 percent drop in shares of building materials supplier Fletcher Building Ltd FBU.NZ drove losses in the materials sector, which fell 0.16 percent.
Utilities further shaved off 0.10 percent, led by Meridian Energy Ltd MEL.NZ .