April 16 (Reuters) - Australian shares tracked Wall Street lower on Tuesday, with commodity and financial stocks leading the fall, as fresh U.S. economic data diminished expectations of early interest rate cuts.

The S&P/ASX 200 index declined 1.1% to 7,670.30 by 1236 GMT and was headed for a fourth straight session of fall, with simmering tensions in the Middle East also weighing on investor risk appetite.

U.S. retail sales in March exceeded forecasts due to a spike in online retailer receipts, providing more proof that the economy was doing well at the end of the first quarter.

Futures now point to about 44 basis points (bps) worth of easing expected this year, down from the 160 bps that was priced in at the start of the year.

Back in Sydney, investors were awaiting an Australian labour force survey and the quarterly inflation reading for clues on the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) future monetary policy.

Mining stocks fell 1.1%, with BHP Group, Rio Tinto and Fortescue shedding between 0.8% and 1.4%.

Heavyweight financials dropped 1.2%, with the "Big Four" banks falling between 0.6% and 1.1%. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the country's largest lender, dropped 1.1%.

Energy stocks fell 1.3% and were on track for their worst session in more than three weeks, after oil prices closed lower overnight.

Woodside Energy and Santos were down 1.4% and 1%, respectively.

Gold stocks fell 0.6%, with Northern Star Resources and Evolution Mining down 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively.

Technology stocks fell 1%, with Block and Xero shedding 4.5% and 0.6%, respectively.

Among individual stocks, Star Entertainment Group was the top loser on the benchmark with a fall of 9.8% after brokerages downgraded the stock.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.7% to 11,837.85, ahead of the first-quarter inflation data due on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Megha Rani in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)