Feb 27 (Reuters) - Australian shares reversed course on Friday, supported by gains in miners after gold prices held steady near a three-week high, offsetting losses in consumer-staples as supermarket chain Coles Group slid on a weaker-than-expected interim profit.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO edged up 0.1% to 9,185.80 points as of 0027 GMT, after losing 0.2% in early trade.
The benchmark had closed Thursday 0.5% higher.
Miners .AXMM climbed 0.9% to a record high, buoyed by a 3.4% jump in gold stocks as spot gold =XAU held around $5,168.72 per ounce, near its three-week high of $5,198.72. GOL/
The mining sub-index is set for an eighth consecutive month of gains, while gold miners are set to notch a fourth straight month of advances.
Gold miners Evolution Mining EVN.AX and Northern Star Resources NST.AX added 2.1% each.
Technology stocks .AXIJ rose 0.6%, lifted by a third consecutive session of gains in WiseTech Global WTC.AX.
The logistics software maker has rallied since unveiling plans earlier this week to axe one-third of its global workforce over two years as part of an AI-driven restructuring, alongside reporting first-half profit that topped estimates.
In contrast, Australia's second-largest grocer, Coles Group COL.AX, slipped as much as 8.7%, its sharpest intraday percentage fall since late March, 2020, dragging the consumer staples sub-index .AXSJ down by 3.1%.
The sell-off came after the retailer posted an 11% drop in interim profit to A$511 million ($363.1 million), missing market expectations.
The group also flagged a slow start to the second half of fiscal 2026, citing intensifying competition from larger rival Woolworths WOW.AX.
Financials .AXFJ fell 0.3%, capping gains on the benchmark, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia's CBA.AX 1.4% drop weighing on the sub-index.
Among other movers, Virgin Australia VGN.AX, the country's second-largest airline, rose as much as 2.5% after the carrier reported first-half underlying profit ahead of estimates.
Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 was little changed at 13,676.91 points.
($1 = A$1.4075)
(Reporting by Anjali Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy)
((anjali.singh2@thomsonreuters.com;))