Australian shares ended Wednesday largely unchanged as gains in a handful of large-cap stocks countered declines in technology and real estate.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed just 4.8 points lower at 7073.4. The All Ordinaries fell 0.2 per cent.

Tech stocks ended the day 1.1 per cent lower despite much-anticipated earnings from Nasdaq-listed Nvidia, released after the close of trading in the US, sailing past analyst expectations.

The chipmaker said revenue in the third quarter rose 34 per cent from the second quarter to $US18.12 billion ($27.7 billion), beating consensus of $US16.2 billion.

However, the results drew a tepid reaction from investors, after the company said US export restrictions would affect sales in China. Nvidia shares settled about 1 per cent lower in after-hours trading.

Tech sector director at Morningstar Brian Colello said the outlook for the company’s prospects in China remained uncertain but the significant decline in revenue would be offset by robust growth elsewhere.

“Nvidia is clearly the dominant provider of graphics processing units deployed in data centres, and we don’t foresee the company losing its supremacy any time soon,” he said in a note.

Back in the benchmark, the interest rate-sensitive real estate sector also suffered, dropping 1.5 per cent late in trading.

Utilities were the best performing, up 0.9 per cent as a group, buoyed by a 1.7 per cent gain for takeover target Origin Energy, as shareholders await the fate of the proposed $20 billion buyout of the electricity giant, expected on Thursday.

Gold miners also performed well as the price of the precious metal continued to inch towards $US2000 an ounce. Mining large cap Newmont rose 2.1 per cent to $57.22, Bellevue Gold gained 2.3 per cent to $1.55 and De Grey Mining added 4.8 per cent to $1.31.

A 1 per cent gain in healthcare heavyweight CSL, which closed at $259.24, also helped offset losses across tech and real estate.

In company news, Healius fell 33.2 per cent to $1.23, its lowest point in more than two decades, after completing a $154 million share offer priced at $1.20 apiece to pay down debt.

Praemium fell 35.3 per cent lower at 37.5¢. The wealth platform forecast first-half earnings to be approximately 20 per cent lower than in the same period last year.

Trans-Tasman pharma distributor EBOS slipped 5.4 per cent to $33.11 after a deal to acquire TPG Capital-backed pets and vets business Greencross fell through overnight.

Real estate conveyancing platform PEXA slipped 4.4 per cent to $11.60 after CEO Glenn King told investors the economic outlook in Australia was “mixed”, given interest rates were expected to remain high.

Karoon Energy rose 1.9 per cent to $2.16 after the oil and gas explorer was upgraded to a buy rating by analysts at Goldman Sachs.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock will appear at the ABE Annual Dinner in Sydney on Wednesday night to outline the future of monetary policy.