Australia shares fell on Wednesday, weighed down by heavyweight banks and mining stocks as copper prices dropped, although gains in energy, tech and gold stocks capped losses.
The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.23% to 7,256.8 by 0023 GMT, after ending 0.4% higher in the previous session.
Copper prices extended their decline to a one-month low on Tuesday on renewed fears that troubles at debt-laden developer China Evergrande Group could seep into the global economy.
Australian mining stocks fell 0.4%, led by a 2.3% drop in Liontown Resources Ltd, followed by Coronado Global Resources Inc losing 2.01%.Global miners BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metlas declined between 0.1% and 0.6%.
Financial stocks shed nearly 1% to hit a more than seven-week low, with the "Big Four" banks declining between 0.5% and 1.1%.
QBE Insurance Group and NIB Holdings were the worst performers on the financials sub-index, losing 2.3% and 2.2%, respectively.
Westpac fell for a fourth straight session, losing as much as 1.2%, after it scrapped the sale of its Pacific businesses to Kina Securities, and said it expected to write back a loss of about A$121 million ($87.52 million) it had recognised with its first-half results.
In contrast, energy stocks rose 1%, led by Washington H Soul Pattinson and Company adding 2.9%, followed by Worley gaining 2.7% on a modest rise in oil prices overnight.
Tech stocks rose 0.3%, led by Xero Ltd up 1.5%, followed by Megaport Ltd gaining 0.6%.
Wall Street closed near flat overnight ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting, where the central bank could set out a timeline to taper its stimulus.
In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.1% to 13,163.Japan's Nikkei was down 0.46%, and S&P 500 E-minis futures were down 0.35%.