Jan 3 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell on the first trading session of 2023 on Tuesday, while gold stocks were the only gainers buoyed by higher bullion prices.
The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.4% to 7,008.5 by 2342 GMT. The benchmark rose 0.3% on Friday.
Domestic technology stocks fell 0.9%, in-tandem with their overseas peers, with battery materials and technology company Novonix Ltd emerging as the top loser on the subindex, dropping about 3%.
Sector majors ASX-listed shares of Block Inc, Xero Ltd, Computershare Ltd slid between 0.2% and 1.3%.
Banking stocks also shed 0.7%, with financial conglomerate Macquarie Group and lender National Australia Bank sliding 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively.
Export-reliant miners and mining sub-index fell 0.3%, on track for its third straight session of losses, even as iron ore prices firmed on Friday, with sector giant Rio Tinto dipping 0.3%.
Lithium miner Liontown Resources Ltd emerged as the top loser on AXMM, shedding over 4%.
Additionally, energy stocks plunged 1%, while oil prices rose last week with Brent crude rising nearly 3% to $2.45 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude firming more than 2% on Friday. Sector major Santos Ltd shed 0.4%.
Bucking the trend, gold stocks maintained an upbeat sentiment after bullion prices edged up on Friday.
The country's largest gold miner Miner Newcrest Mining gained 0.2%, while Northern Star Resources rose 0.5%.
Markets in New Zealand were closed on Tuesday due to a public holiday. (Reporting by Jaskiran Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
