* Higher iron ore prices support miners
* Energy stocks reverse course to end lower
* NAB expects c.bank to cut rates twice by Feb
(Updates to close)
By Nikhil Subba
Sept 11 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended marginally higher on Wednesday, as solid gains in the mining and financial sectors - the benchmark index's biggest components - helped outweigh a decline in technology and healthcare stocks.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO inched 0.4% higher to 6638.00 at the close of trade. The benchmark slipped 0.5% on Tuesday.
The mining index .AXMM , whose constituents comprise the world's largest miners, closed 1.4% higher, with investors encouraged by rising iron ore prices due to expectations that China would implement more economic stimulus to boost steel demand. heavyweight BHP Group BHP.AX gained 1.4%, while peer Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX ended the session 2.2% higher.
Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets, said an improving risk sentiment is driving people towards growth stocks instead of safe-havens, thus benefiting resource stocks.
The European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates, or ramp up asset purchases, or both at a policy review on Thursday and expectations that major central banks will ease monetary policy further to support a flagging global economy has helped risk sentiment, along with hopes that talks next month between the United States and China will de-escalate their trade war.
Financials .AXFJ were up 0.6% at close, their highest level in over a month, helped by the "Big Four" banks which each ended in positive territory.
National Australia Bank NAB.AX revised its outlook for interest rate cuts by the country's central bank, predicting at least two more easings to 0.5% by February from previous forecast of one cut. the technology .AXIJ and healthcare indexes .AXHJ continued to weigh on the benchmark, slumping 1.6% and 1.2% lower at close, respectively.
Data solutions provider Appen Ltd APX.AX tumbled about 6% to end the session at a near four-month low, while drugmaker CSL Ltd CSL.AX fell 1.3% at close.
Energy stocks .AXEJ forfeited earlier gains to end the session 0.5% lower, with oil and gas major Santos Ltd STO.AX shedding about 3% and Oil Search OSH.AX slipping about 1% lower.
Neighbour New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 ended almost 2% lower at 10,924.88, pressured by telecom and energy stocks.
Electricity retailer Meridian Energy MEL.NZ fell over 5% ending the session at its lowest level in slightly over a week, while telecom company Spark New Zealand SPK.NZ closed almost 5% down.