Feb 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares edged lower on Monday, hurt by a decline in technology stocks following a slump in software maker WiseTech, while softer underlying prices pushed commodity stocks lower.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 0.2% to 8,279.5 points by 0031 GMT. The benchmark ended 0.3% lower on Friday.

Logistics software maker WiseTech Global WTC.AX plunged 22% after four of its non-executive directors decided to step aside owing to differing views around the ongoing role of the company's billionaire founder and former CEO Richard White.

WiseTech was the worst performer on the benchmark index and the technology sub-index .AXIJ, which plunged 8% in its biggest one-day percentage drop since mid-June 2022.

Shares of tech company Iress IRE.AX, which provides software to financial services industry, dropped 17% after its full-year profit forecast fell short of estimates.

ASX-listed shares of Block XYZ.AX also dropped 10.6% after reporting lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit.

Mining stocks .AXMM fell 1.6%, dragged by a 0.7% decline in iron ore futures DCIOcv1 on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. IRONORE/

Iron ore miner Rio Tinto RIO.AX lost 1.7%, while BHP Group BHP.AX shed 1.6%.

Energy stocks .AXEJ shed 1.5% after oil prices settled down more than $2 a barrel on Friday and posted a weekly decline. O/R

Woodside Energy WDS.AX and Santos STO.AX fell 0.9% and 3.3%, respectively.

Gold stocks .AXGD fell 2.2% after bullion eased from its record high. GOL/

Limiting the losses, financial stocks .AXFJ and discretionary consumer stocks .AXDJ rose 0.8% each.

On Friday, the U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 1.69%, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 104.39 points, while Nasdaq .IXIC lost 2.20% amid mounting concerns over new tariff threats and softening consumer demand. .N

Japan's Nikkei .N225 was last up 0.26% at 38,776.94 points.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 1.9% to 12,510.55 points.

Investors now await crucial inflation print from Australia due on Wednesday, for more clues on the Reserve Bank of Australia's monetary policy stance.

(Reporting by Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)

((Nichiket.Sunil@thomsonreuters.com;))

For more information on DIARIES & DATA: U.S. earnings diary  RESF/US   Wall Street Week Ahead   .N/O Global Economy Week Ahead DATA/ ................................................................ For latest top breaking news across all markets          NEWS1