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* Financial stocks fall to one-week low
* Technology, energy stocks also weigh
* NZ ends higher, Summerset Group up
By Nikhil Subba
August 17 (Reuters) - Financials pulled down Australian shares on Monday as a decision by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to defer its final dividend brought the sector's payout woes to surface.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO settled 0.8% lower at 6,076.4, with financials .AXFJ shedding 1.63% to hit their lowest level since Aug. 10.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd BEN.AX fell 6.6% as the mid-sized lender deferred its full-year dividend payment, citing economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and posted full-year profit that almost halved from a year earlier. the moment, the financial space is where there's a bit of uncertainty about whether banks will be paying a dividend or not," said James Tao, a market analyst at CommSec.
"That's a big question mark moving forward for banks."
Though the financial regulator lifted a freeze on dividends, it has said the payout should be less than half of their profit this year.
Dividend payouts are closely watched in Australia, where around two million people, or 8% of the total population, manage their own retirement income.
Among other financial stocks, AMP Ltd AMP.AX lost 4.2%, while the "Big Four" banks finished in negative territory.
Adding to the gloom, Victoria, the country's second-most populous state, reported its biggest COVID-19 daily death toll with 25 fatalities and 282 new infections. stocks .AXIJ slipped 1.2%, led by a 2.4% drop in Computershare Ltd CPU.AX , while Afterpay Ltd APT.AX lost 2.7%.
Energy stocks .AXEJ declined 0.8%, with Ampol Ltd ALD.AX shedding 3.6%, while Cooper Energy Ltd COE.AX lost 1.3%.
In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 1.93% to 11,672.95.
Among top gainers, Summerset Group Holdings Ltd SUM.NZ climbed 5.43%, while Ryman Healthcare Ltd RYM.NZ gained 5.33%. ($1 = 1.3931 Australian dollars)