The Australian share market slipped into negative territory late Tuesday after China's introduction of retaliatory tariffs on selected U.S. imports.
The S&P/ASX 200 index edged down 5.4 points to close at 8,374, with losses across most sectors offset by gains in tech and mining stocks.
Eight of the 11 sectors declined, led by real estate and consumer discretionary stocks.
Goodman Group fell 1.2%, Charter Hall lost 0.5%, and Stockland dropped 1.6%.
However, the tech sector outperformed, rising 1.5% overall, driven by a 9.8% surge in Appen, a 4% gain in Megaport, and a 3.6% rise in WiseTech.
Mining stocks also strengthened, with Rio Tinto up 1.6%, BHP gaining 0.7%, and Fortescue adding 1.8%.
Among standout performers, Pro Medicus popped 5.2% to record highs after securing a major deal with U.S. healthcare provider BayCare.
Predictive Discovery surged 13.1% after Canada’s Lundin family and China’s Zijin Mining Group committed $69.2 million to accelerate development of its flagship Bankan gold project in West Africa.
Meanwhile, bond markets saw 10-year and 2-year yields at 4.418% and 3.792%, respectively.