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 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 slumped 2.8%, tracking overnight losses in their Wall Street peers. Sector heavyweights Computershare and Xero fell 0.8% and 2.9%, respectively.

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

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

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

Woodside Energy and Santos gained 0.9% and 0.4%, respectively.

Among individual stocks, ASX-listed shares of Fletcher Building slipped 8.6%, their lowest in over six months, while the company's New Zealand-listed shares 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 fell 0.7% to finish the session at 11185.0800, marking its third straight day of losses.

(Reporting by Adwitiya Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)