New Zealand Equities Retreat for 3rd Session

2026-03-03 22:58 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

New Zealand stocks slipped 45 points, or 0.3%, to 13,574 in Wednesday morning trade, marking a third straight decline after Wall Street closed sharply lower Tuesday as investors fretted the Middle East conflict could fuel inflation.

Meanwhile, Wellington said it is monitoring the crisis and its impact on New Zealanders abroad.

In top trading partner China, February PMI data will be due later today, with concerns growing that the Spring Festival break may weigh on activity.

Still, losses were limited by fresh figures showing New Zealand’s merchandise terms of trade rose 3.7% yoy in Q4 2025, reversing a 2.1% drop in the prior quarter.

Separately, Australia’s Q4 GDP release is also expected later, with bets on continued momentum.

Sector-wise, consumer durables, logistics, and healthcare led declines, offset by gains in commercial services and retail trade.

Property for Industry fell 2.1%, followed by Genesis Energy Ltd. (-1.8%), Napier Port Holdings (-1.6%), and Gentrack Group (-1.3%).



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New Zealand Equities Retreat for 3rd Session
New Zealand stocks slipped 45 points, or 0.3%, to 13,574 in Wednesday morning trade, marking a third straight decline after Wall Street closed sharply lower Tuesday as investors fretted the Middle East conflict could fuel inflation. Meanwhile, Wellington said it is monitoring the crisis and its impact on New Zealanders abroad. In top trading partner China, February PMI data will be due later today, with concerns growing that the Spring Festival break may weigh on activity. Still, losses were limited by fresh figures showing New Zealand’s merchandise terms of trade rose 3.7% yoy in Q4 2025, reversing a 2.1% drop in the prior quarter. Separately, Australia’s Q4 GDP release is also expected later, with bets on continued momentum. Sector-wise, consumer durables, logistics, and healthcare led declines, offset by gains in commercial services and retail trade. Property for Industry fell 2.1%, followed by Genesis Energy Ltd. (-1.8%), Napier Port Holdings (-1.6%), and Gentrack Group (-1.3%).
2026-03-03
Shares in New Zealand Finish 0.3% Lower
The NZX 50 fell 36 points, or 0.3%, to close at 13,620 on Tuesday, extending the prior day’s losses as U.S. stock futures retreated sharply as Middle East tensions fueled inflation fears through higher oil prices. President Trump said Monday that U.S. military operations against Iran could last four to five weeks, while Wellington noted it is monitoring the crisis and its impact on New Zealanders in the region. In Australia, the central bank signaled a rate hike could come as early as this month if inflation expectations drift higher. Consumer durables, logistics, and producer manufacturing led declines, though gains in non-energy minerals and financials helped limit losses. Notable laggards included Channel Infrastructure NZ (-2.3%), Scales Corp. (-2.1%), Infratil Ltd. (-1.7%), and PGG Wrightson (-1.3%). Traders now braced for upcoming PMI figures from China, New Zealand’s top trading partner, for clues on February’s manufacturing and services activity following recent holidays.
2026-03-03
New Zealand Stocks Inch Lower
New Zealand shares edged down 20 points or 0.1% to 13,637 in early deals on Tuesday, marking losses for the second straight session amid weakness in consumer durables, energy minerals, and logistics. A widening conflict across the Middle East weighed on sentiment, with U.S. President Trump vowing 'whatever it takes' on Iran as Israel launched new airstrikes Monday. Caution also lingered ahead of PMI readings later this week in China, New Zealand's largest trading partner, amid concerns the Lunar New Year holiday may have slowed factory and services activity. Still, declines were capped by local data showing a rebound of 1.9% mom in building permits at the start of the year, after a 4.5% fall in December. Auckland Intl. Airport dropped the most by 2.7%, reflecting the impact of travel disruptions due to the geopolitical tensions. Other laggards were Meridian Energy (-1.8%), Infratil Ltd. (-1.3%), Winton Land (-1.0%), and Property for Industry (-0.8%).
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