* Gold stocks lead losses on Aussie benchmark
* Beach Energy plummets 24%
* ASX delivers best month in five
* NZX50 up 0.13%
By Riya Sharma
April 30 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended lower on Friday, with Beach Energy's trading update weighing on sentiment, even as the index marked its best month in five.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 0.8% to 7,025.8 points, backing away from the previous session's 14-month peak.
Beach Energy Ltd BPT.AX led losses as it plunged 24% after slashing reserve estimates and earnings outlook following a review of declining output at its Western Flank field in South Australia. manufacturing data from China pointed to a slow recovery and slackening demand in the world's second-biggest economy and what it would mean for Australia, its top trade partner, James Tao, market analyst at CommSec said.
"The traders are just engaging in some end-of-month profit-taking and it is dragging down the market today and the negative trading announcements from index giants didn't help the matter any further," he added.
Gold stocks .AXGD tumbled 2.2%, with the country's biggest producer Newcrest Mining NCM.AX shedding up to 2.6% as bullion eased due to higher U.S. Treasury yields denting its appeal. GOL/
The energy subindex .AXEJ skidded 1.7%, hurt by Beach Energy and a fall in oil prices due to concerns over wider lockdowns in major oil consumers India and Brazil. O/R
Heavyweights Woodside Petroleum Ltd WPL.AX and Viva Energy Group VEA.AX eased as much as 1.8% each.
Among individual stocks, U.S.-based ResMed Inc RMD.AX slumped after a tax dispute led the sleep apnoea specialist to post a quarterly loss. Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.13% to 12,731.1. ($1 = 1.2858 Australian dollars)