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SYDNEY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Australian shares pared early gains but finished 0.3 percent higher on Tuesday after the central bank held interest rates at record lows without indicating whether further easing was needed.
The Reserve Bank of Australia surprised markets by toning down calls for a further fall in the local dollar. Interbank futures 0#YIB: now imply a 60 percent chance of a move by December, from 72 percent earlier in the day.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO rose 18.6 points to 5,697.9 at the close of trade. It breached a key psychological level of 5,700 and hit an intra-day high of 5,727.7 points.
Financials, healthcare and consumer staples sectors led gains while material and energy-related shares were top losers.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index .NZ50 closed down 0.41 percent, or 24.1 points, at 5,933.75.