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Feb 20 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended flat on Tuesday as losses in financials and materials were offset by gains in energy and information technology stocks.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 0.700 points to 5,940.90 at the close of trade. The benchmark added 0.6 percent on Monday.
Banks were the biggest drag on Tuesday, with the Australian financial index .AXFJ slipping 0.2 percent.
Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX , the country's second-biggest bank by market value, fell 0.8 percent and accounted for most of the losses while National Australia Bank Ltd NAB.AX declined 0.5 percent.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd ANZ.AX fell 0.3 percent despite reporting lower impaired assets for the first quarter. stocks added to the losses, with miners BHP BHP.AX and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) Ltd RIO.AX falling 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent respectively.
After market hours, BHP BHP.AX , reported a 25 percent rise in underlying half-year profit , helped by robust commodity prices. Retail Group Ltd SUL.AX plunged 14.5 percent to its lowest in more than three years.
The outdoor equipment retailer reported a 3 percent fall in first-half profit and announced a A$135 million ($106.88 mln) takeover of outdoor recreation brand Macpac.
Conversely, energy stocks .AXEJ gained, helped by overnight gains in oil prices. O/R
Woodside Petroleum Ltd WPL.AX , Australia's biggest independent gas and oil producer, climbed 1.6 percent, while Origin Energy Ltd ORG.AX added 1 percent.
Information technology stocks also gained. Software developer Altium Ltd ALU.AX surged 26.7 percent to be the day's top percentage gainer.
In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.2 percent or 16.980 points to finish the session at 8,098.270.
Materials and health care stocks accounted for most of the losses, with Fletcher Building Ltd FBU.NZ declining 1.4 percent and Ryman Healthcare Ltd RYM.NZ dipping 1.6 percent.
($1 = 1.2631 Australian dollars)