Australian shares slip as miners, tech stocks drag; RBA minutes in focus

Australian shares edged lower on Tuesday as losses in mining and technology names outweighed gains elsewhere, with traders looking ahead to the release of the RBA's September policy minutes for hints on where interest rates are heading. According to Business Recorder, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.2% to 8,767.80 points at 2333 GMT, having advanced 0.8% in the previous session.

Late last month, the central bank's governor, Michele Bullock, indicated that some inflation dangers had emerged and that further tightening remained possible if necessary. Traders currently put the chance of another rate increase at 30%, though a pause is still viewed as the more probable result. The RBA has lifted rates four times this year, bringing them to 4.6%, a level not seen in 15 years.

Oil prices climbed after renewed attacks in Saudi Arabia, clouding the inflation outlook and overshadowing Donald Trump's pledge to support Russian diesel shipments and a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire that covers energy assets. Energy shares rose almost 2% to their highest in close to a month, with Woodside Energy gaining 1.8% and Santos 2.3%. Technology names fell 2.6% in line with the Nasdaq's overnight drop, while miners lost 1.6%, with BHP and Rio Tinto among the decliners. Rio Tinto, a major iron ore producer, will release its quarterly output figures on Wednesday.