By Swati Pandey and Rebecca Howard
SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Australian shares took a breather on the last trading day of the year on Thursday after running up to a 2-month high in the previous session, tracking negative global cues as oil prices continued to slump slump.
By 0041 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO had slipped 3.84 points, or 0.07 percent, to 5,316.1. The benchmark rose 1 percent on Wednesday.
Resources and energy stocks weighed on the index, threatening to end a 9-day rally that helped push the benchmark 3 percent higher for December alone.
With slumping iron ore and metal prices hitting heavyweight mining stocks, the index has had a rough year overall, shedding 1.7 percent, and is on track for its first loss since 2011.
In contrast, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 has been making successive record highs.
While it barely moved on Thursday, it is still up a whopping 13.6 percent this year, its fourth annual gain. In December alone, it gained more than 3 percent.
However, analysts maintained a bullish long-term view of the Australian index on the back of the weak Aussie dollar. The benchmark is expected to rebound in 2016 to 5,625 points, a Reuters poll found. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13Y01B
On Thursday, major miners BHP Billiton (L:BLT) BHP.AX slipped 1.3 percent while Rio Tinto (L:RIO) RIO.AX was down 0.6 percent. Junior gold miner Evolution EVN.AX fell 2.8 percent.
Energy shares skidded, too, with LNG LNG.AX tumbling 6.8 percent and Beach Energy BPT.AX down 2.5 percent.
Slater & Gordon SGH.AX , already the worst performer of 2015, down 86 percent, continued its slide on Thursday, tumbling 4 percent.
Blackmores Ltd BKL.AX , this year's top performer, rose 1.3 percent while another investor darling Domino's Pizza DMP.AX jumped 3.6 percent. Blackmores surged 518 percent this year while Domino's is up 136 percent.
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The NZX 50 index closed up 0.08 percent, or 4.87 points, at 6,324.26.
The biggest gainers were Tower TWR.NZ , up 1.3 percent and Freightways FRE.NZ , up 1.1 percent. The biggest losers included A2 Milk ATM.NZ as investors took profits after a solid run in the wake of positive guidance.
Trading in New Zealand ended early at 0000 GMT ahead of the New Year Day holiday on Friday. It will reopen on Tuesday.
Trading in Australia will end at 0310 GMT on Thursday. It will resume on Monday. (Editing by Kim Coghill)