Australian shares ended a touch lower on Tuesday as investors adopted a cautious stance after a weak Wall Street finish weighed on regional markets, with losses in the materials sector tugging on the main index. The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.13 percent, or 6.9 points, lower at 5,457.5, at the close of trade. The "Big 4" banks supported the financial sector, inching up 0.1 percent to 0.6 percent.
Those gains were not enough to keep the market in the black as mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto dropped more than 1 percent as iron ore retreated following the a pull-back in steel prices from a 31-month high. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index ended 0.02 percent, or 1.21 points lower to finish the session at 6,901.75. Skincare company Trilogy International Limited, fell as much as 10 percent, despite posting a 10 percent jump in half-year profit, due to uncertainty regarding opportunities in China.