* ASX benchmark snaps two straight session of losses
* Fortescue jumps 2.5% on record profit, dividend hike
* Afterpay hits record high, bolsters tech stocks
By Pranav A K
Aug 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares were little changed on Monday, as a drop in fresh coronavirus infections in the state of Victoria and a boost from technology stocks offset early losses in energy and healthcare.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO ticked 0.05% higher to 6,112.4 points by 0121 GMT, after falling 0.3% in early trade. The benchmark lost about 0.2% last week, snapping two straight weeks of gains.
Victoria reported its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus cases in seven weeks, fanning hopes that a deadly second wave there is subsiding. The state on Monday reported 116 cases and 15 deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, down from a peak of more than 700 cases early this month. stocks .AXIJ jumped 2.4% and hit an all-time high, boosted by the country's biggest buy-now-pay-later firm Afterpay Ltd APT.AX .
Afterpay said it would acquire Spain-based peer Pagantis to expand its operations into Europe, sending its shares to a record high. units .AXEJ fell 1.3% and led losses on the benchmark as the country's top independent gas producer Woodside Petroleum WPL.AX slid more than 2%.
Meanwhile, Qantas Airways QAN.AX dropped 4.1% after the carrier announced the departure of its international division head in a cost-saving move. Metals Group FMG.AX advanced 2.5% and kept mining stocks .AXMM afloat after the world's fourth-biggest iron ore miner posted a record full-year profit and quadrupled its final dividend. Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.4% to 11,878.6, its highest level since Feb. 24, supported by utilities and industrial stocks.
Data showed that the country's retail sales volumes fell a seasonally adjusted 14.6% in the second quarter.