Jan 8 (Reuters) - Australian shares snapped a four-day winning streak to open marginally lower on Wednesday, as losses in domestic banks cut back gains in mining stocks, while investors awaited November inflation data due later in the day.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO edged 0.2% lower to 8,268.2 points by 2332 GMT. The benchmark rose to end 0.3% higher on Tuesday.

Australian markets are anticipating an uptick of 2.2% in consumer price index figures for November, according to a Reuters poll of economists, compared to a 2.1% high in October, which will colour the outlook for interest rates from the country's central bank.

Inflation ticking higher could signal the Reserve Bank of Australia $(RBA)$ to hold its interest rates, which have remained steady at 4.35% for more than a year.

Traders still see a 73% chance of a quarter-point rate cut at the RBA's first meeting in February, according to the RBA Watch tool.

Local banking stocks .AXFJ fell 0.6%, with the "Big Four" banks losing between 0.4% and 0.6%. Higher-for-longer rates, while historically beneficial, are slowing banks' credit growth and borrowers' mortgage-paying capacity.

Domestic miners .AXMM, which hold nearly a quarter of the resource-heavy bourse, rose 0.7% to snap a three-session losing streak, with sector majors Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX and Fortescue FMG.AX gaining between 0.8% and 1.4%.

Energy firms .AXEJ rallied for the eleventh consecutive session as oil prices settled higher over concerns of limited supply, with sub-index leaders Woodside Energy WDS.AX and Santos STO.AX advancing 0.6% and 0.1%, respectively. O/R

Gold stocks .AXGD jumped 1.9% as bullion prices climbed amid a weakening U.S. dollar, with miners Northern Star Resources NST.AX and Evolution Mining EVN.AX rising 1.3% and 1.8%, respectively. GOL/

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 slipped 0.3% to 13,008.31 points, extending losses for a second session.

(Reporting by Nikita Maria Jino in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

((Nikita.Jino@thomsonreuters.com))

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