Australian shares pared early losses on Thursday after a stunning jobs report, but weakness in energy firms kept a lid on the market as crude oil struggled near two-month lows.
The S&P/ASX 200 index ended flat at 5,125.7, but still near a recent one-month low of 5,162.7.
Likewise, New Zealand’s benchmark NZX 50 index barely moved to finish the session at 6,023.96, having edged up 0.1 per cent. The index had set a series of record highs in the past week.