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New Zealand Shares Fall Slightly; Contact Energy Accepts Responsibility for December 2025 Under-Frequency Event

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New Zealand shares ended slightly lower on Tuesday, as most Asian stocks fell following a sell-off on Wall Street and ongoing difficulties in US-Iran peace negotiations.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index fell 0.2% or 27.6 points to close at 13,860.66.

US President Donald Trump on Monday countered Iran's peace conditions with his own demands that Tehran pay compensation for lives lost in wars, attacks and protests, a rhetorical escalation that risks complicating efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Monday Reuters report.

In domestic news, per-person spending on Westpac-issued credit and debit cards in New Zealand rose 2% in July after mostly trending sideways earlier in the year, the bank said.

Also, the New Zealand Light Traffic index rose 1.3% in July, remaining broadly in line with its level a year earlier, according to data from ANZ Research.

In corporate news, Contact Energy (NZE:CEN, ASX:CEN) accepted a draft determination from New Zealand's Electricity Authority that it was responsible for an under-frequency event that occurred in December 2025, the regulator said.

Spark New Zealand (NZE:SPK, ASX:SPK) said its subsidized prepaid broadband program Skinny Jump is now connecting around one in five of those identified as having no internet access at home in the 2023 census.

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China Shares Open Lower as Hormuz Reopening Prospects Dim

Chinese shares opened lower on Tuesday amid dimming prospects for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.The Shanghai Composite Index, the main gauge of Chinese stocks, opened 0.4% lower to 3,950.71. The Shenzhen Component Index declined 0.4% to 14,266.44.Compensation disputes between Iran and the U.S. have dampened hopes for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Iran demanded sanctions relief and other concessions from Washington, while U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that Tehran compensate all those killed and wounded in Iranian attacks.

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Update: US Equity Indexes Decline as Fading Hopes for Quick Hormuz Reopening Lift Crude Oil, Treasury Yields

(Updates with index/price moves and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes slipped as government bond yields and crude oil jumped after President Donald Trump's rhetorical call for Iran to pay compensation dimmed hopes for a quick reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil and natural gas outflows.The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3% to 26,605.36, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1% to 53,975.98 on Monday. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% to 7,753.11.Energy and healthcare led the gainers while real estate and utilities were among the steepest decliners.Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman to define new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz, but reiterated that the US must meet other conditions -- compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats -- before the critical waterway is reopened, Reuters reported.The US must lift its blockade of ports before Tehran agrees to fully reopen Hormuz, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday, according to CNBC. "As long as the US naval blockade continues, the necessary conditions for the reopening of Hormuz do not exist," Baghaei was cited as saying to Iran's news agency, Tasnim."I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts, for which they are famous..." President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Additionally, compensation should be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protestors that Iran has killed over the last 50 years..."The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract jumped 5.2% to $82.22 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent advanced 5% to $87.76 a barrel, reflecting concern that Iran and the US are not getting closer to resolving the war.Shares of Chevron (CVX) were up 4.5%, the biggest gainer on the Dow.US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 4.5 basis points to 4.7% and the two-year climbing 3.7 basis points to 4.24%.Gold futures rose 1.1% to $4,448.9, and silver futures jumped 3.8% to $65.92.In company news, Apple (AAPL) has enabled eligible Mac users in mainland China to connect Alibaba's (BABA) Qwen artificial intelligence service to Siri and Writing Tools, Reuters reported Friday. The arrangement gives Apple a locally developed AI option for Mac users in China, the report said.Jefferies downgraded Apple to underperform from hold while adjusting its price target to $263.66 from $285.56. Shares of Apple dropped 1.5%, one of the worst performers on the Dow.S&P 500 companies' quarterly earnings growth rate eased from a week ago as the healthcare sector's results weighed, Oppenheimer Asset Management said, adding that results overall remain "strong." Some 89% of the companies in the benchmark index have reported results, with earnings up by about 51% year over year, compared with 57% growth a week ago.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAPL$BABA$CVX
Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Indexes Mixed as Crude Oil, Treasury Yields Jump Amid Worsening Iran Geopolitics

(Updates with index/price moves and company news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading on Monday amid gains in government bond yields and higher crude oil prices as hopes faded for a quick reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil and natural gas flows.The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3% to 26,614.4, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.3% to 53,905.1. The S&P 500 was little changed at 7,755.6.Energy and healthcare led the gainers while real estate, technology and utilities were among the steepest decliners.Shares of Chevron (CVX) were up 4%, the biggest gainer on the Dow.President Donald Trump signaled a US emphasis on increasing economic pressure on Iran, saying that Washington is "low-keying" negotiations with the country, CNN reported.Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman to define new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz, but reiterated that the US must meet other conditions -- compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats -- before the critical waterway is reopened, Reuters reported.The Iranian official, who had issued the demands on behalf of the Islamic Republic, has been replaced by the country's supreme leader with a veteran Revolutionary Guards commander who has previously voiced skepticism about talks with the US, CNN reported.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract jumped 4.2% to $81.49 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent advanced 4.3% to $87.09 a barrel.US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 4.3 basis points to 4.7% and the two-year higher by 3.7 basis points to 4.24%.Gold futures rose 0.4% to $4,416.9, and silver futures jumped 2.8% to $65.27.In company news, Trade Desk (TTD) slid 5.5%, one of the worst performers on the S&P 500, following stock rating downgrades from multiple brokerages, including DA Davidson.Apple (AAPL) has enabled eligible Mac users in mainland China to connect Alibaba's (BABA) Qwen artificial intelligence service to Siri and Writing Tools, Reuters reported Friday. The arrangement gives Apple a locally developed AI option for Mac users in China, the report said. Jefferies downgraded Apple to underperform from hold while adjusting its price target to $263.66 from $285.56.Shares of Apple dropped 2%, one of the worst performers on the Dow.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAPL$BABA$CVX$TTD