Minutes of RBA meeting due on Tuesday Australian unemployment...

	  Minutes of RBA meeting due on Tuesday 

	  Australian unemployment data due on Thursday 

	  New Zealand's Fletcher Building records worst day in 12 

years

(Updates to close)

Australian shares ended lower on Monday, weighed down by banking and technology stocks, while investors awaited the minutes of the central bank's latest policy meeting to gauge the outlook for interest rates.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) fell 0.4% to 7026.500 at the close of trade. The benchmark fell 0.6% on Friday, but rose 1.4% for the week.

Investors will scrutinize the minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) October meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, for comments on the country's monetary policy path.

Additionally, markets await Australia's September unemployment report, due on Thursday, which may have an impact on the RBA's policy decision next month.

"If we do see the unemployment rate starting to move higher, then that will probably take any kind of rate rise from the RBA off the table", said Henry Jennings, a senior analyst and portfolio manager at Marcustoday Financial Newsletter.

Technology stocks .AXIJ slumped 2.8%, tracking overnight losses in their Wall Street peers. Sector heavyweights Computershare (CPU) and Xero (XRO) fell 0.8% and 2.9%, respectively.

Financials .AXFJ declined 0.6%, with the 'Big Four' banks losing between 0.4% and 0.7%.

Bucking the trend, mining stocks .AXMM rose 0.5% on strong iron ore prices. Heavyweights BHP Group (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO) jumped 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively.

Energy stocks .AXEJ jumped 0.6% after oil prices surged last week, although they were largely flat on Monday.

Woodside Energy (WDS) and Santos (STO) gained 0.9% and 0.4%, respectively.

Among individual stocks, ASX-listed shares of Fletcher Building (FBU) slipped 8.6%, their lowest in over six months, while the company's New Zealand-listed shares (FUB) plunged 14%, marking their worst day in 12 years.

The construction materials maker denied claims that plumbing failures reported in several homes in Australia were due to a manufacturing defect in the pipes it produced.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) fell 0.7% to finish the session at 11185.0800, marking its third straight day of losses.