New Zealand Stocks Rise, but Set for Weekly Decline

The NZX 50 climbed 38 points, or 0.3%, to 13,104 in Friday morning trade, after falling in the previous session, tracking a rally on Wall Street overnight, with the S&P and Nasdaq hitting record highs amid hopes regarding easing Middle East tensions. Most sectors traded in the green, including energy, consumer staples, and healthcare. Sentiment was also lifted by fresh data showing food inflation eased to its lowest level since February 2025, at 3.4% in March. However, traders are anticipating the country's Q1 inflation and trade data, as well as the Chinese interest rate decision due next week. Among the top performers were Ebos Group (2.0%), Summerset Group (1.2%), A2 Milk (-1.1%), Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (0.6%), and Mainfreight (0.4%). For the week, the index is heading for a 0.6% fall, after rising last week amid the Middle East conflict.

The NZX 50 dropped 11 points, or 0.1%, to close at 13,066 on Thursday, reversing gains from the morning session and the previous day, mainly weighed down by energy, consumer staples, technology, and industrial stocks. Traders assessed China’s Q1 GDP data, with the economy growing more than expected but at a slower pace than in the same period of 2025, while both March industrial output and retail sales growth eased from the previous month. However, a rally on Wall Street overnight helped limit losses, supported by optimism over US-Iran ceasefire talks. On the domestic front, New Zealand home prices slipped slightly in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, highlighting modestly softening demand amid rising petrol prices linked to Middle East tensions, according to data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. Among the biggest laggards were Ebos Group (-2.4%), A2 Milk (-1.8%), Briscoe Group (-1.3%), Freightways Group (-1.2%), and Port of Tauranga (-1.1%).

The NZX 50 rose 13 points, or 0.1%, to 13,089 in Thursday morning deals, extending gains from the previous session and following a rally on Wall Street overnight, supported by optimism over US-Iran ceasefire talks. The broader index climbed for the second straight day, mainly supported by consumer discretionary, financials, and real estate. However, the gains were capped by traders’ caution as they were awaiting the release of a slew of data from China, New Zealand's top trading partner, due later today, including Q1 GDP, with the market expecting growth to reach 4.8% year-on-year, up from a 4.5% expansion in Q4 2025. Among notable movers were Hallenstein Glasson Holdings (2.1%), Ebos Group (2.0%), Bankers Investment Trust (0.8%), Freightways Group (0.8%), Summerset Group (0.8%), FC Investment (0.7%), Auckland International Airport (0.5%), Chorus (0.5%), and A2 Milk (0.3%).