Australian bank stocks ended Tuesday in the red, as National Australia Bank dropped 3.5 percent as it traded ex-dividend, but all other sectors closed in positive territory, lifted by recovering commodity and metal prices. The S&P/ASX 200 index perked up 0.2 percent, or 12.098 points, to 5,850.5 at the close of trade. The strength in resource stocks lifted the index up as much as 0.6 percent in early trade. The benchmark ended 0.03 percent higher on Monday.

National Australia Bank sank to its lowest in three months after trading ex-dividend. The country's fourth-biggest lender recorded its biggest one-day fall in six months, snapping three days of gains. Macquarie Group, Australia's biggest investment bank, followed suit and slipped 2.1 percent, its lowest in over 3 weeks.

Resource stocks were in the spotlight among gainers where index heavyweights Rio Tinto and BHP closed 1.4 percent and 0.8 percent higher. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index lost 0.3 percent, or 22.33 points, to finish the session at 7,407.61. Heartland Bank was the index's biggest decliner.

Copyright Reuters, 2017