SYDNEY/WELLINGTON: Australia shares on Thursday snapped a three-session winning streak, dragged lower by heavyweight financials, as a surprise uptick in US jobless claims weighed on sentiment and cut short vaccine-led optimism in global equities.

The S&P/ASX 200 index edged 0.7% lower to finish the session at 6636.4.

Heavyweight financials recorded their worst session in two weeks with the so-called "Big Four" banks falling between 1.3% - 2.4%

Energy stocks also fell with Worley and Whitehaven Coal dropping as much as 7% and 4.8%, respectively. Bucking the trend, gold stocks advanced as weak US jobs data and surging Covid-19 cases cast fears of a swift economic recovery, bolstering bullion's safe-haven appeal. In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index finished 0.5% lower, with electronic payments platform Pushpay Holdings being the top drag in the index.