Australia: Shares wobble as investors weigh Ukraine crisis; Woolworths gains

[BENGALURU] Australian shares see-sawed on Wednesday as investors weighed developments surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while supermarket chain Woolworths jumped after beating first-half profit estimates.

The S&P/ASX 200 swung between positive and negative territory, and was up 0.1 per cent at 7,174, as of 2353 GMT. The benchmark fell 1 per cent on Tuesday.

Global investor sentiment remained jittery after the United States became the latest to sanction Russian elites and banks after Moscow ordered troops into two separatist regions of Ukraine.

Australian gold stocks were the top losers on the benchmark, sliding more than 2 per cent after bullion prices pulled back.

Shares of Newcrest, the country's largest gold miner, shed 2.4 per cent, while Northern Star Resources fell over 3 per cent.

Woolworths jumped more than 4 per cent after Australia's biggest supermarket operator beat first-half earnings estimates and forecast improved financial performance for the second half.

Technology shares gained as much as 1.5 per cent after a four-day losing streak. WiseTech Global was the top gainer on the sub-index, rising 4.5 per cent after robust half-year earnings and outlook.

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd plunged up to 14.6 per cent after reporting a 5.5 per cent drop in half-yearly net profit after tax to A$91.3 million, missing a Visible Alpha consensus estimate by 7 per cent.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.3 per cent to 12,144.43. Shares of NZME jumped nearly 10 per cent after the media firm reported higher annual results. REUTERS