News: NXL Australia shares fall on increasing coronavirus curbs

June 29 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell on Tuesday, with energy stocks and banks leading losses, hurt by increasing COVID-19 restrictions across the country to contain the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) fell 0.6% to 7264.5 by 0047 GMT. The benchmark closed flat on Monday.

Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei .N225 fell 0.7%, and S&P 500 E-minis futures EScv1 were down 0.11%

Five of Australia's eight states and territories have been hit by outbreaks of the Delta variant, with around 80% of the population under some form of restrictions.

The country on Monday decided to make vaccinations mandatory for high-risk aged-care workers and employees in quarantine hotels.

Energy stocks .AXEJ lost 1.4%, as oil prices fell 2% to a one-week low overnight due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Asia and Europe.

Woodside Petroleum (WPL) slipped 1.5%, and Oil Search (OSH) fell 2% to its lowest level since June 2.

Heavyweight financials .AXFJ , dropped 0.7% weighed by losses in the "Big Four" banks.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) , Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) , National Australia Bank (NAB) Westpac Banking Corp (WBC) fell between 0.5% and 0.7%

Miners .AXMM fell 0.9% pressured by heavyweights Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO) and BHP Group Ltd (BHP) falling 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

Technology stocks .AXIJ were among the few gainers on the index in early trading, taking their cue from a strong session in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index .IXIC. on Wall Street.

Buy-now-pay-later giant Afterpay Ltd (APT) rose 1.5% and software provider Nuix Ltd (NXL) climbed 2.27%

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) rose 0.2% to 12,628.59. Pushpay Holdings (PPH) was the top gainer on the bourse.