* "Big four" banks lose between 0.7% and 1.1%
* Australian gold index hits record high
* Energy stocks rise for third session
By Arundhati Dutta
July 23 (Reuters) - Australian shares traded steady on Thursday, as gains in gold and energy stocks offset losses in most other sectors after authorities warned of a hit to economic growth.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was down 0.04% to 6,072.7 by 1249 GMT after Wednesday's 1.3% drop.
Australia recorded 501 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, its highest since the epidemic took hold in March, with Victoria state accounting for 97% of the fresh cases. surging cases prompted authorities to make masks mandatory in Melbourne, Victoria's capital and Australia's second most populous city, and flag a hit to third-quarter economic output.
Most major sectors were trading in the red, with tech stocks .AXIJ leading the fall. Buy-now-pay-later firm Afterpay APT.AX was the top loser with a near 2% drop.
The financial index .AXFJ slipped as much as 0.8%, with the "big four" banks losing between 0.7% and 1.1%.
Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX , the country's second-largest lender, tapped Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn)'s chief of Australia and New Zealand as its institutional business head. gold sub-index .AXGD rose for a fifth straight session and hit a record high as bullion prices hit a nine-year peak on U.S.-China tensions and stimulus hopes. GOL/
Newcrest Mining NCM.AX , Australia's biggest listed gold miner, was the top gainer on the index after reporting fourth-quarter production above estimates. energy index .AXEJ climbed for a third straight session. Santos Ltd STO.AX led the gains with a rise of up to 2.6% after saying it expected steady output in the near term. New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 slipped 0.2% to 11,701.7, with Oceania Healthcare OCA.NZ leading the fall after reporting a 15% drop in full-year profit.