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ASX 200 marks lowest volumes since Jan. 17

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Banks, tech stocks top losers

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NZ consumer confidence falls in Q4

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended lower on Monday for a third consecutive session on thin trading volumes, dragged by financials, while prospects of further interest rate hikes next year by central banks worldwide continued to weigh.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.2% lower at 7,133.90 points. More than 485 million shares had changed hands by the end of the day, the lowest since Jan. 17, against a 30-day average of about 800 million shares.

"The ASX has been weighed down from Wall Street's weak lead. But for now it looks quite happy above 7,100 as today's selloff lacks conviction, with trading volume on the low side," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index.

The U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank hiked rates and signalled more last week, with speculation building that the Bank of Japan, which meets on Monday and Tuesday, is eying a shift in its ultra-dovish stance in future.

Back home, financials dropped 0.3%, with three of the "Big Four" banks falling between 0.2% and 0.5%.

At the beginning of this month, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted rates by 25 basis points, the eighth hike in as many months. The central bank is scheduled to release the minutes of the monetary policy meeting on Tuesday.

"Tomorrow's RBA minutes warrant a look to see if there was any internal discussion about a pause in rates," said Simpson.

Technology stocks lost 0.2%, with ASX-listed Block and investment services provider Computershare declining 2.9% and 0.8%, respectively.

Meanwhile, miners gained 0.6%, as BHP Group , Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals rose between 0.1% and 0.7%.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 closed 0.7% lower at 11,518.14. Consumer confidence in the country fell sharply in the fourth quarter to the lowest level since the figures were first compiled in 1988. (Reporting by Upasana Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil)