New Zealand Stocks Edge Up to Begin the Final Month of 2025

New Zealand's stocks were almost unchanged, trading around 13,890 in Tuesday morning deals, as gains in the technology, utilities, and materials sectors offset declines in healthcare, energy, and consumer discretionary. Rising oil prices raised doubts about whether the Fed will cut rates this year. Traders awaited the release of US inflation data this week for clues about the Fed's monetary policy at its upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, rising oil prices also raised questions about how they could affect the RBNZ's monetary policy decision at its September meeting amid uncertainty over whether the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Caution also prevailed ahead of the RBNZ's Q3 inflation expectations, due this week, after they accelerated in Q2. Contact Energy advanced 1.6%, ANZ Group rose 1.2%, and A2 Milk gained 0.6%, while Fisher & Paykel and EBOS Group fell 0.9% and 0.7%, respectively.

New Zealand's stocks rose 64 points, or 0.5%, to close at 13,888 on Monday, halting losses in the previous two sessions, tracking a rise on Wall Street on Friday after softer-than-expected labor data dampened expectations of a Fed rate hike at the September meeting. The broader index was mainly supported by gains in healthcare, financials, and industrials. Positive trade data from China, New Zealand's top trading partner, with export growth remaining robust, continued to help cap the losses, while inflation eased to a six-month low. However, traders anticipated the release of US inflation data this week for clues about the Fed's monetary policy at the upcoming meeting, while rising oil prices capped the gains amid uncertainty over whether to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Among the top performers were Ryman Healthcare (2.4%), Infratil (2.2%), Ebos Group (1.8%), Fisher & Paykel (1.2%), F&C Investment (0.9%), Hallenstein Glasson (0.8%), and Mainfreight (0.7%).

New Zealand's stocks climbed 34 points, or 0.2%, to 13,858 in Monday morning trade, halting losses in the previous two sessions, tracking a rise on Wall Street on Friday after softer-than-expected labor data dampened expectations of a Fed rate hike at the September meeting. Positive trade data from China, New Zealand's top trading partner, with export growth remaining robust, continued to help cap the losses, while inflation eased to a six-month low. However, traders anticipated the release of US inflation data this week for clues about the Fed's monetary policy at the upcoming meeting, while they continued to monitor Strait of Hormuz developments. Materials, utilities, consumer discretionary, and real estate mainly drove the index. Contact Energy rose 1.1% after posting a 27.8% jump in net profit, following the acquisition of Manawa Energy, completed in July 2025. Other early gainers included South Port NZ (0.8%), Ebos Group (0.7%), and Port of Tauranga (0.7%).