Australia: Mining, energy sectors drag shares down; NZ higher

[SYDNEY] Australian shares on Friday fell on the quarter's last day, pulled down by mining and energy stocks, as investors awaited the Saturday meeting in Japan between the US and China presidents.

A mix of reports about the possible outcome of the Donald Trump-Xi Jinping meeting in Osaka on Saturday tempered overall market sentiment and brewed further uncertainty.

The S&P/ASX 200 index slid 0.7 per cent to 6,618.80 at the close of trade.

For the quarter, however, the main index was 7.1 per cent higher.

Investors booked profits on miners, which had big gains on Thursday.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index finished 0.7 per cent higher at 10,501.10 on the day and up 6.7 per cent in the April-June quarter.

Genesis Energy and Mercury NZ, each gaining over 4 per cent, were the top advancers on the main board.

REUTERS