(Updates to close) Sept 13 (Reuters) - Australian shares edged...

(Updates to close)

Sept 13 (Reuters) - Australian shares edged lower on Tuesday, dragged down by weakness in financial and energy stocks as investors remained tentative ahead of next week's meeting of the Federal Reserve.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) fell for a fourth-straight session, finishing down 11.81 points, or 0.2 percent, at 5,207.8, its lowest close since July 6.

Markets have been on a shaky footing for much of the past few weeks on speculation on what the Fed might do at its meeting next week. The bets are still on U.S. rates staying on hold next week and probably move higher by year-end.

Financial stocks accounted for more than half of the losses on the benchmark index, with the “Big Four” banks declining between 1 percent to 1.3 percent. Concerns over earnings growth and competition have pressured the sector recently.

Telecom giant Telstra Ltd (TLS) fell 1 percent to close at its lowest since October 2013.

Energy stocks .AXEJ dropped to their lowest in over two months as oil prices tumbled, with Oil Search (OSH) sliding 2 percent.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50), which lost 2.5 percent on Monday, fell 0.42 percent, or 30.53 points to its lowest in over a month at 7,249.23.

Utilities and industrials were the biggest drag on the index.

Auckland Airport (AIA) lost 2.9 percent while energy company Mercury NZ (MCY) tumbled 7.4 percent to its lowest since June.