May 6 (Reuters) - Australian shares were flat on Thursday, as losses in banks and technology stocks offset advances made by heavyweight miners on the back of higher commodity prices.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was flat at 7,091.50 as of 0030 GMT, after advancing about 0.2% earlier in the day. It ended at a 14-month high of 7,095.8 on Wednesday.
Heavyweight miners .AXMM rose 2.2% to their highest in nearly 13 years, after copper hit a fresh 10-year high overnight on signs of recovery in major economies, raising hopes of increased demand. MET/L
Global mining giants BHP Group BHP.AX and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX jumped as much as 3.2% and 2.2%, respectively, with BHP being among the top three gainers in the benchmark.
Energy stocks .AXEJ rose about 1%, with Whitehaven Coal WHC.AX and Worley WOR.AX gaining 3.1% and 2.2%, respectively.
Tech stocks .AXIJ , however, tracked overnight Nasdaq Composite .IXIC losses, slipping as much as 1.7%, and falling for a fifth consecutive session. .N
Buy-now-pay-later giant Afterpay APT.AX also declined for a fifth straight session, losing as much as 3.2%, while WiseTech Global WTC.AX fell 1.6%.
Banks .AXFJ lost more than 0.5%, with all the "Big Four" banks trading in red.
The country's No. 3 lender National Australia Bank NAB.AX fell about 2%, despite reporting a jump in first-half profit, doubling its dividend and promising higher capital returns. the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell as much as 0.7% to 12,759.5.
The top percentage losers were Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp FPH.NZ , down 3%, followed by Meridian Energy MEL.NZ and Skellerup Holdings SKL.NZ losing 1.8% each.
Dairy giant Fonterra FCG.NZ laid out plans to overhaul its capital structure and allow farmers easier entry to the cooperative in a move to firm up its financial future. Its shares are halted till Friday. other markets, Japan's Nikkei .N225 was up 1.22% at 29,163.77, while S&P 500 E-minis futures EScv1 edged down 0.01%.