Australia shares slip as miners sink

MELBOURNE, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares slipped 0.1
percent on Thursday as top miners sank in cautious trade ahead
of manufacturing data from major export market China.
The HSBC China PMI figure is due at 0145 GMT on Thursday,
with the market expecting the reading to top December's 51.5.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was down 5 points at
4,783 by 2315 GMT. It rose 0.2 percent to 4,787.8 on Wednesday,
the highest close in almost 21 months.
BHP Billiton fell 0.6 percent while Rio Tinto
was down 1.1 percent after copper prices softened and
iron ore prices languished offshore.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index inched up 3
points to 4,191.05.
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, Australia's third
biggest iron ore miner, will report its quarterly iron ore
production later on Thursday.

(Reporting by Miranda Maxwell; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)