NZX 50 Falls, but Poised for 3rd Weekly Gain

New Zealand stocks advanced 53 points, or 0.4%, to 13,973 on Friday, reversing morning losses and erasing the previous session’s losses to hit their highest level since August 5, buoyed by gains in tech sectors, consumer staples, real estate, and communication services. Positive earnings reports during the peak corporate reporting season continued to support sentiment. However, losses in energy, materials, and industrials limited gains. A downbeat session on Wall Street on Thursday also capped the rise amid rising Treasury yields. Traders were also anticipating the release of US July PMIs and New Zealand's retail sales for Q2 due next week. On the data front, New Zealand's trade deficit widened in July, as exports rose less than imports. Among gainers were Scales Corp. (2.6%), Colonial Motor (1.6%), Fisher & Paykel (1.3%), A2 Milk (1.2%), Chorus (1.2%), and Westpac Banking Corp. (1.0%). For the week, the index rose 0.9%, marking the third consecutive weekly gain.

New Zealand stocks inched down 18 points, or 0.1%, to 13,901 in Friday morning deals, extending losses from the previous session, tracking a downbeat session on Wall Street overnight amid rising US Treasury yields. The decline was mainly weighed down by healthcare, materials, and industrials. However, gains in consumer staples, tech sectors, and real estate capped the fall. Traders were also anticipating the release of US July PMIs and New Zealand's retail sales for Q2 due next week. On the data front, New Zealand's trade deficit widened in July, as exports rose less than imports. Among early losers were Fisher & Paykel (-1.1%), F&C Investment (-0.7%), EBOS Group (-0.6%), Mercury NZ (-0.6%), and Freightways Group (-0.5%). However, for the week, the index rose 0.3%, marking the third consecutive weekly gain.

New Zealand stocks edged down 10 points, or 0.1%, to close at 13,920 on Thursday, reversing gains in morning trade and ending gains from the previous two sessions, mainly weighed down by energy, consumer staples, and industrials. Traders took profit after the broader index hit its highest level since August 5 a day earlier, when the index reached a record high. However, gains in communication services, financials, and healthcare capped the fall. Gains in US stock futures also limited the decline amid a sharp drop in Treasury yields. Among the biggest laggards were ANZ Group (-3.3%), A2 Milk (-2.1%), Briscoe Group (-1.8%), Auckland International Airport (-1.5%), which posted a fall in profit after tax including revaluation, Chorus (-1.5%), and EBOS Group (-1.3%). By contrast, Spark New Zealand, New Zealand's largest telecommunications company, surged 6.4%, following a 91.9% jump in net profit for H2 2026. Skellerup Holdings rose 1.4% after posting a 24.2% jump in net profit.