News: XFJ Australian shares drop as US inflation data weighs on rate-sensitive stocks

	  Woodside Energy gains more than 2% 

	  ANZ Group ends 1.4% lower 

	  Origin Energy names new finance chief 

(Updates to close)

Australian shares ended lower on Thursday as investors dumped rate-sensitive stocks including property, technology and financials after hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data dented hopes of an early interest rate cut.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) was down 0.4% at 7,813.600 at the close of trade. The benchmark lost as much as 1.2% earlier in the day.

"I see a lot of pressure on the rate-sensitive sectors now. Some companies have just been holding on as best they can, but now with a longer time horizon many will not be able to continue," said Brad Smoling, managing director at Smoling Stockbroking.

Wall Street ended sharply lower on Wednesday after the inflation data prompted investors to assuage expectations that the Federal Reserve would begin lowering interest rates as early as June.

Australian financials .AXFJ emerged as one of the major drags in the benchmark index with a loss of nearly 1%.

All "Big Four" banks ended lower, with ANZ Group (ANZ) leading declines after slipping 1.4%.

Real estate stocks .AXRE , which are sensitive to interest rates, finished the day 1.8% lower. Shares of developers Mirvac (MGR) and Lendlease Group (LLC) lost between 2.6% and 2%.

Technology firms .AXIJ tracked the lacklustre overnight performances in their U.S. peers to slump 0.5%.

Bucking the trend, bellwether miners .AXMM rose 0.8% on the back of a continued jump in iron ore prices.

Mining behemoth Rio Tinto (RIO) inched 0.4% higher. The Australian energy sector jumped 1.2%, driven by higher oil prices amid growing concerns of a worsening Middle-East crisis.

Australia's largest oil and gas firm Woodside Energy (WDS) surged 2.1% while smaller peer Santos (STO) rose 1.3%.

In company news, shares of Origin Energy (ORG) dipped 0.1% after the power retailer appointed a new finance chief.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) ended 0.3% lower, a day after the central bank kept its cash rate unchanged at 5.50% for a straight sixth time.