Day traders' after-market lounge May 21

Thanks afternoon crew.

End-of-day summary:

A low-key session saw Aussie shares finish modestly lower as a week-long mining rally took a breather and trading updates from James Hardie and Sonic Healthcare disappointed.

The ASX 200 declined 12 points 0.15%. The materials sector shed 0.72% as traders locked in profits at a four-month high. A reversal in gold weighed on De Grey, Gold Road Resources and Newmont. Other drags included Telstra, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals.

Fibre cement manufacturer James Hardie tanked 14.79% after forecasting weaker income next financial year. A profit warning pulled Sonic Healthcare down 6.01%.

Wall Street finished mixed overnight as a tech rally lifted the Nasdaq, while succession worries at JPMorgan dragged on the Dow. The S&P 500 eked out a gain of 0.04%.