(Updates to close)
By Nikhil Nainan
Aug 13 (Reuters) - A four-day winning streak for Australian shares ended on Tuesday, as investors joined those in other markets shifting to gold and bonds due to jitters on global stability and growth.
Even defensive shares such as healthcare ones slipped, though market losses were capped by a recovery among miners.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 0.3% to 6,568.5 at the close.
"Markets are continuing to be fearful of escalation tensions in Hong Kong and trade wars with China," said Michael Gable, managing director of Fairmont Equities in Sydney.
"In the short term, you don't want to be buying anything," he added, but said he still favours equities over bonds.
Biotechnology company CSL Ltd CSL.AX , a heavyweight stock on the benchmark, closed 1.5% lower.
Elsewhere in the sector, Cochlear COH.AX dropped 3.4% and Mayne Pharma Group MYX.AX fell 2.1%.
The financial index .AXFJ was also lower, down 0.5%, with wealth manager AMP Ltd AMP.AX sliding 2.7%.
The Big Four banks - Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX , Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX , National Australia Bank NAB.AX and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX - all declined, off between 0.3% to 0.6%.
Miners shone, including Fortescue Metals Group FMG.AX , which gained 3.6%.
Iron ore miners have come under pressure recently as prices of the steelmaking material have been falling.
Some investors were anxious about events in Argentina, where market-friendly President Mauricio Macri suffered a heavy defeat in presidential primaries. miners Galaxy Resources GXY.AX and Orocobre ORE.AX , both of whom have large exposure to Argentina, lost 5.8% and 6.4%, respectively.
But Australia's biggest supermarket chain Woolworths WOW.AX rose 0.7%, reaching near 5-year peak.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.2% or nearly 18 points, to 10,854.77.
Meridian Energy MEL.NZ was the biggest loser, down 2.4%. Spark New Zealand SPK.NZ and a2 Milk ATM.NZ also dropped.