Markets in Asia and the Pacific were lower at the close on Wednesday following recent rallies.
In New Zealand, the benchmark index was down 8 points, or 0.3%, to 3084.
Telecom shares were down 1 cent to $2.85, Fletcher Building was down 6c to $7.45, but Contact Energy rose 7c to $6.61. Sky City Entertainment Group fell 14c to $3.31.
The Australian share market snapped its recent bull run, closing lower on profit-taking among financial and resources stocks.
At the 1615 AEST close, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was 44.8 points, or 1.04% lower at 4264.5, while the broader All Ordinaries index fell 41.7 points, or 0.97%, to 4,272.2.
Japanese share prices ended down 1.18% as investors took profits a day after the market touched a 10-month high on mounting hopes of an economic recovery.
The benchmark Nikkei-225 index fell 122.48 points to 10,252.53. The broader Topix index of all first section shares dropped 9.44 points, or 0.98%, to 949.58, snapping a 13-day winning streak, the longest in more than 21 years.
