* Energy, mining shares lead losses
* Cimic Ltd top decliner on ASX 200, down 19%
* Financials also weigh (Updates to close)
July 18 (Reuters) - Energy and commodity-related firms led losses on the Australian benchmark share index on Thursday, while renewed concerns over U.S.-China trade relations kept investor risk appetite in check.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO ended 0.4% lower at 6,649.10. The benchmark rose 0.5% on Wednesday.
Oil prices steadied after initially extending the previous day's decline when data showed U.S. stockpiles of products such as gasoline had risen sharply last week. O/R
The energy sub-index plummeted 2.3%, with its biggest player Woodside Petroleum WPL.AX falling to a six-week low after reporting a 32% decline in second-quarter revenue, missing analyst forecasts by a big margin. mining .AXMM shares slid as iron ore futures in China retreated from record levels after a rally in the steel-making ingredient took it to its highest since 2013. {IRONORE/]
Shares of global miner Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX were off 0.8%, while those of its larger rival BHP Group BHP.AX fell 1.5%.
The stock of contract miner Cimic Group CIM.AX plunged 19% to a more than two-year low after its first-half profit missed analyst expectations.
Meanwhile, mixed Australian jobs data released earlier in the day gave no new incentive to bet on a rate cut in the near term and renewed concerns over a lack of progress in the Sino-U.S. trade dispute kept investors wary. of the country's top lenders were flat to 0.4% lower after credit rating firm Fitch cut its outlook for Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX to "negative" from "stable" on Wednesday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 closed up 0.8% at 10,741.09.
The domestic energy sector comprising refiners and petroleum distributors cheered lower oil prices. New Zealand Refining Company NZR.NZ added 1.4%, while Z Energy Ltd ZEL.NZ gained 2.1%. Utilities advanced too.