Industrial stocks were also lower, with airport operator Auckland International Airport Ltd and construction services provider CIMIC Group Ltd down 1.4% and 3.3%, respectively.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index was trading nearly flat at 13,040.11, even after data showed the island nation's fourth-quarter jobless rate dropped to 4.9%, beating analyst forecasts.
Financials also eased, with wealth manager Perpetual Ltd losing most in the sector, dropping nearly 5%. Insurance Australia Group and Macquarie Group also pulled back.
Meanwhile, shares of Lynas Rare Earths leapt 10% after it signed an agreement to build a commercial light rare earths separation plant in the United States.