Goldminers and defence stocks were up as the S&P/ASX 200 finished the day slightly down. -AAP Image
Australia's share market has taken a breather a day after hitting a record high, as rising geopolitical risks sent investors towards gold and defence stocks.
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The S&P/ASX 200 finished Thursday down 14.7 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 8,577.4, as the broader All Ordinaries fell 11.6 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 8,808.6.
The down-tick came as the United States evacuated non-essential embassy staff from Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain after Iran promised to retaliate against any air strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Defence also dominated the local news cycle after the US announced a review into the AUKUS defence agreement, renewing debate about Australia's spending.
In mixed trade news, President Donald Trump said he was willing to extend a July 8 reciprocal tariff deadline for roughly 15 countries negotiating with the US, but dozens of other nations would receive tariff ultimatums in the coming weeks.
Goldminers rallied as investors sought safety, while defence stocks Austal (up 2.3 per cent) and Droneshield (up 7.8 per cent) pushed higher.
The Australian dollar is buying 65.03 US cents, up from lunchtime but down slightly from Wednesday afternoon's 65.13 US cents.
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