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611 stories mentioning S&P/NZX 50 IndexUpdated just now

Trading amid soft New Zealand data pointing to downside CPI risks; miscellaneous shares rose while communications stocks lagged.

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International

New Zealand Records NZ$698 Million in Goods Trade Surplus in March

New Zealand recorded a goods trade surplus of NZ$698 million in March, compared with a deficit of NZ$364.7 million in February, Stats NZ data showed on Monday.Goods exports rose 7.3% to NZ$7.94 billion, while imports rose 9.6% to NZ$7.25 billion.Exports were driven by a 166% increase in precious metals, jewelry, and coins, while mechanical machinery and equipment recorded the largest drop, declining by 19%.Mechanical machinery and equipment led the increase in imports, rising 31%, while petroleum and products led the decline, falling 30%.In the year ended March, New Zealand recorded an actual annual trade deficit of NZ$3.19 billion, compared with a trade deficit of NZ$6.26 billion in the year ended March 2025.

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Asia

New Zealand Shares Fall Amid Cautious Trading Ahead of US-Iran Peace Talks; New Zealand King Salmon Investments Lifts Fiscal 2026 Outlook

New Zealand shares ended lower on Friday as most Asian markets saw a sell-off as investors remained cautious despite the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire taking effect ahead of US-Iran peace talks.The S&P/NZX 50 Index fell 1.2% or 160.4 points to close at 12,905.67.US President Donald Trump has said that the next discussions between the US and Iran may take place over the weekend, according to a Thursday Reuters report.In domestic news, New Zealand's electronic card spending rose 1.3% month over month to NZ$9.85 billion in March on a seasonally-adjusted basis, matching the 1.3% increase recorded in the previous month, according to data from Stats NZ.Also, the average asking price for a property in Christchurch in March held steady over the past three years and remained lower than other main centers in New Zealand, data from realestate.co.nz showed.Further, petrol and diesel prices in New Zealand increased by nearly 19% and 43%, respectively, in March compared with the previous month, according to a Stats NZ selected price index report.Meanwhile, annual inflation in New Zealand is expected to slow by 0.2 percentage points in the March quarter to 2.9%, slightly higher than the previous forecast of 2.8% but slightly lower than the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's (RBNZ) April forecast of 3%, ANZ Research said in a note.In corporate news, New Zealand King Salmon Investments (NZE:NZK, ASX:NZK) upgraded its fiscal 2026 guidance, now expecting pro-forma earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of NZ$19 million to NZ$27 million, up from NZ$9 million to NZ$15 million.Contact Energy (NZE:CEN, ASX:CEN) has applied to quote about 5 million ordinary shares issued in connection with its acquisition of an additional stake in King Country Energy.

^NZ50ASX:CENASX:NZKNZE:CENNZE:NZK
International

Annual Inflation in New Zealand Expected to Slow to 2.9% in Q1, ANZ Research Says

Annual inflation in New Zealand is to expected slow by 0.2 percentage points in the March quarter to 2.9%, slightly higher than the previous forecast of 2.8% but slightly lower than the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's (RBNZ) April forecast of 3%, ANZ Research said in a note on Friday.The first quarter consumer price index data, scheduled to be released on April 21, will capture some initial impacts from the Middle East conflict, but inflationary effects will be more pronounced in the second quarter. If the sharp rise in fuel prices are sustained around current levels, the June quarter consumer price index will record a much larger quarterly rise.The bank expects the core inflation indicators to remain within the 1% to 3% target band, with the weighted median, 30% trimmed mean, and ex‑food, fuel and energy measures expected to land within a 0.3% band around 2%.It is reasonable to assume that uncertainty around the medium-term inflation outlook will be the monetary policy committee's main focus in May, ANZ said.

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Asia

NZX Biggest Gainers

Here are the NZX-listed companies with the biggest gains on Friday.Skellerup Holdings (NZE:SKL): +2.5%, NZ$5.80Auckland International Airport (NZE:AIA): +0.5%, NZ$8.22A2 Milk Co. (NZE:ATM) +0.1%, NZ$9.24

^NZ50NZE:AIANZE:ATMNZE:SKL
Asia

NZX Biggest Losers

Here are the NZX-listed companies with the biggest losses on Friday.Mercury NZ (NZE:MCY): -1%, NZ$6.60Freightways Group (NZE:FRW): -1%, NZ$12.28Infratil (NZE:IFT): -1%, NZ$12.03Contact Energy (NZE:CEN): -1%, NZ$9.39Meridian Energy (NZE:MEL): -0.7%, NZ$5.66Summerset Group Holdings (NZE:SUM) -0.5%, NZ$8.55Port of Tauranga (NZE:POT): -0.5%, NZ$7.93Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (NZE:FPI): -0.3%, NZ$38.36

^NZ50NZE:CENNZE:FPHNZE:FRWNZE:IFTNZE:MCYNZE:MELNZE:POTNZE:SUM
Asia

Average Asking Property Price in Christchurch Remains Lower Than Other Major NZ Centers, Realestate.co.nz Says

The average asking price for a property in Christchurch in March held steady over the past three years and remained lower than other main centers in New Zealand, data from realestate.co.nz showed on Friday.The average asking price for a property was NZ$715,039, up 1.6% from March 2025 and more than NZ$150,000 under the national average asking price of NZ$887,162.The price gap could make Christchurch the most accessible major center for property seekers in the country, Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, said.The average asking price in Auckland was just over NZ$1.2 million in March, while Wellington's was NZ$904,333, the report said.

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Asia

NZX Most Active Stocks

Here are the most actively traded stocks on New Zealand's Exchange on Friday.Kiwi Property Group (NZE:KPG): 2.3 million sharesArgosy Property (NZE:ARG): 1.6 million sharesSpark New Zealand (NZE:SPK): 1.2 million sharesFletcher Building (NZE:FBU): 908,737 sharesOceania Healthcare (NZE:OCA): 845,665 shares

^NZ50NZE:ARGNZE:FBUNZE:KPGNZE:OCANZE:SPK
Asia

NZX Midday Sector Update: Producer Manufacturing Shares Rise, Non-Energy Minerals Decline

Producer manufacturing shares gained the most on New Zealand's Exchange, rising past 1% by midday Friday.Shares of Scott Technology (NZE:SCT) were up past 2% in recent trade.Meanwhile, shares of the non-energy minerals sector fell over 2%.Santana Minerals (NZE:SMI, ASX:SMI) was down past 3% in recent trade.

^NZ50ASX:SMINZE:SCTNZE:SMI
International

Fuel Drove Increase in New Zealand Electronic Retail Card Spending in March, Westpac Says

Higher spending on fuel drove an overall lift in New Zealand electronic retail card spending in March, Westpac said in a Friday report, noting that the month's 0.7% increase in retail spending came in slightly above its 0.5% forecast."Unsurprisingly, with petrol prices surging almost 19% during the month, spending on fuel increased over 17%," the bank said.Core spending, which excludes fuel and vehicles, declined by a modest 0.1% month over month, while higher spending on consumables and durables was more than offset by a fall in the hospitality and apparel store categories, Westpac said.The March results mean retail spending during the first quarter ticked 1% higher, marking the strongest quarter since the three months through December 2024, it added.Westpac expects elevated fuel prices to continue to strain household budgets at least in the near term, and the bank also continues to anticipate a slight decline in consumer spending volumes in the current quarter, even as higher prices sustain the value of spending.

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International

RBNZ Expected to Raise OCR to 4% by Mid-2027, Says Infometrics

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is expected to lift the official cash rate (OCR) three times this year, starting in July, with the OCR reaching 4% by mid-2027 and as high as 4.5% in the first half of 2028, said Infometrics in a Friday report.Infometrics predicts that higher fuel prices will drive inflation to 4.8% per year in the second quarter, an immediate outcome of the Middle East conflict that the RBNZ can do little about.The economic forecaster added that even if fuel prices moderate in the second half of the year, inflation is still expected to be at 3.9% per year in March 2027 and 3% by December 2027, with second-round effects from the fuel price spike rippling across the economy for several quarters."We now expect household spending to grow just 0.8% this year, a full two percentage points slower than our pre-conflict forecasts," said Gareth Kiernan Infometrics chief forecaster.Infometrics said that gross domestic product is now expected to grow by 1.3%, down from the previous expectation of 2.5%, assuming no serious or prolonged disruption to New Zealand's fuel availability, but added that the government's Fuel Response Plan may be elevated to phase 2 or 3 at some stage.Kiernan said household spending is now expected to grow just 0.8% this year, 2 percentage points lower than previously expected.

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International

New Zealand Fuel Prices Surge in March

Petrol and diesel prices in New Zealand increased by nearly 19% and 43%, respectively, in March compared with the previous month, according to a Stats NZ selected price indexes report on Friday.The rises in petrol and diesel prices in March were the largest since Stats NZ began publishing monthly vehicle fuel price data in July 2011, following declines in both fuels in January and February.Food prices fell 0.6% in March compared with the previous month, driven mainly by a 2.9% drop in fruit and vegetables and a 0.8% decline in grocery food, with kiwifruit, chocolate blocks, cheddar cheese, and beef mince contributing most to the decrease.Domestic airfares decreased by around 14% in March, while international airfares increased by 3.5% compared with February."Travelers typically book and pay for airfares in advance, so price changes reflect fares that were set up to 12 months ago," said prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden.Food prices increased by 3.4% on an annual basis in March, compared with a 4.5% increase in the 12 months to February, mainly due to a 7.3% rise in meat, poultry, and fish prices and a 2.8% increase in restaurant and ready-to-eat meals.Petrol and diesel prices both increased over the 12 months to March, rising by nearly 14% and 37%, respectively.

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International

New Zealand Electronic Card Spending Rises in March

New Zealand's electronic card spending rose 1.3% month over month to NZ$9.85 billion in March on a seasonally-adjusted basis, matching the 1.3% increase recorded in the previous month, according to data from Stats NZ on Friday.Retail spending rose 0.7% to NZ$7.08 billion, following a 1.4% increase in February.Core retail spending, which comprises consumables, durables, hospitality, and apparel, fell 0.1% to NZ$6.36 billion, following a 1.7% increase in the previous month.Services spending via electronic cards rose 0.1% to NZ$400 million, compared with a 0.4% decrease in the prior month. Excluding services, spending in non-retail industries rose 2.5% to NZ$2.39 billion, following a 2% increase in the previous month.

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Asia

New Zealand Shares Flat Amid Hopes of US-Iran Peace Talks; Contact Energy Posts Higher March Retail Electricity, Gas Sales

New Zealand shares ended flat on Thursday, while most Asian markets saw gains as investors saw growing optimism around US-Iran peace talks after Israel discussed a possible ceasefire against Lebanon.The S&P/NZX 50 Index was little changed to close at 13,066.06.On Wednesday, the Nasdaq Composite added 1.6%, the S&P 500 gained 0.8%, and the Dow Jones fell 0.2%.Israel's security cabinet met on Wednesday to consider a potential ceasefire in Lebanon, according to a Wednesday Reuters report, citing a senior Israeli official."As we ⁠move into the heart of earnings season, the focus is shifting back toward fundamentals, with a more idiosyncratic, stock-driven environment beginning to take hold," said Scott ​Rubner, head of equity and equity derivatives strategy at Citadel Securities, as quoted by Reuters in a separate report.In domestic news, New Zealand's nationwide housing market value rose by 0.2% year-on-year in March, with Auckland down 1.2% and areas outside Auckland seeing a modest 1.1% rise, Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) said.Also, Businesses in New Zealand say they are experiencing considerable disruptions due to the Middle East conflict and the resulting surge in oil prices, Westpac said in a report.In corporate news, Contact Energy (ASX:CEN, NZE:CEN) said retail mass-market electricity and gas sales increased year on year in March, alongside a rise in wholesale contracted electricity sales.Fletcher Building (ASX:FBU, NZE:FBU) reported modest improvements in key product volumes for the fiscal third quarter, with gains in light building products and distribution partially offset by continued weakness in heavy materials and residential activity.

^NZ50ASX:CENASX:FBUNZE:CENNZE:FBU
Asia

NZX Midday Sector Update: Industrial Services Stocks Rise, Consumer Durables Tank

Industrial services gained the most among New Zealand sectors on Thursday, advancing nearly 2%.Ventia Services Group (NZE:VNT, ASX:VNT) gained nearly 2% in recent trade.On the other hand, consumer durables shares dropped past 1%.KMD Brands (NZE:KMD, ASX:KMD) shares slid past 1% in recent trade

^NZ50ASX:KMDASX:VNTNZE:KMDNZE:VNT
International

New Zealand Businesses Experiencing Significant Disruption From Middle East Conflict, Westpac Says

Businesses in New Zealand say they are experiencing considerable disruptions due to the Middle East conflict and the resulting surge in oil prices, Westpac said in a report on Thursday.Much of the momentum observed in economic activity before the war broke out has now stalled, and cost pressures and uncertainty have surged over the past month, according to the report."The impacts of those developments are extending well beyond transport costs, resulting in softer demand, concerns about supply security and increased economic uncertainty," the bank said. "That's on top of the broader pressure on operating costs, prices, and margins."For many industries experiencing sharply higher fuel costs, including transport services, construction materials, forestry, and agriculture, it is currently difficult to pass cost increases on to customers due to a combination of complex pricing arrangements and soft demand, the report said.Fertilizer importers have pointed to a material escalation in supply chain risk amid the conflict's impact on insured shipping capacity, and similar worries are emerging in meat exports, feed imports, and log shipping, "where two-way freight economics are breaking down," the bank said.Westpac flagged forestry as particularly vulnerable, with many operators anticipating a sharp slowdown in harvesting, especially among small to medium-sized crews.Meanwhile, tourism businesses are reporting cancellations and restaurants are reporting a drop in sales as uncertainty generated by the war is driving conservative consumer behavior and a focus on cash preservation, Westpac said.

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International

New Zealand Housing Market Value Rises in March, Says REINZ

New Zealand's nationwide housing market value rose by 0.2% year-on-year in March, with Auckland down 1.2% and areas outside Auckland seeing a modest 1.1% rise, Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) said on Thursday.According to the REINZ House Price Index (HPI), Southland retained the top spot for annual HPI percentage growth over the 12 months, followed by Canterbury and Otago.Canterbury saw a 3.2% year-on-year increase in median sale prices in March, the seventh-strongest annual return among all regions, indicating a market with relatively "middle of the road" long-term performance.However, Canterbury's HPI rose 3.7% over the past year, marking the region's second-best annual performance, with REINZ attributing the difference from median prices to changes in the sales mix and noting that the HPI more accurately reflects underlying property values.

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Asia

New Zealand Shares Rise Amid Hopes of US-Iran Peace Talks; Chorus Says Q3 Fibre Connections Rise to 1.1 Million

New Zealand shares ended higher on Wednesday as most Asian markets saw gains amid hopes of continued US-Iran peace talks.The S&P/NZX 50 Index gained 0.46% or 59.32 points to close at 13,076.58.Peace talks to end the US-Iran war could resume over the next two days in Pakistan, said US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, according to a Tuesday Reuters report."The impressive price action in risk assets suggests markets are keen ​to look through the immediate impact of the Middle East conflict," said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at ​IG, as quoted by Reuters in a separate report.In domestic news, a total of 2,869 metric tonnes (MT) of products were sold during the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) pulse auction held Tuesday, with supply ranging from 2,550 MT to 3,000 MT, according to data from the trading platform.In corporate news, Chorus (ASX:CNU) said fibre connections grew by 13,000 in the fiscal third quarter to 1.1 million, up from a gain of 7,000 in the fiscal second quarter.Ryman Healthcare (ASX:RYM, NZE:RYM) reported 331 occupation right agreement (ORA) sales in the fiscal fourth quarter, up 10% from 302 a year earlier.

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Asia

NZX Midday Sector Update: Consumer Durables Sector Soars, Industrial Services Sector Struggles

The consumer durables shares gained the most on New Zealand's Exchange, rising almost 2% on Wednesday.Shares of KMD Brands (NZE:KMD, ASX:KMD) rose nearly 2% in recent trade.On the flip side, the industrial services sector struggled, shedding nearly 2%.Ventia Services Group (NZE:VNT, ASX:VNT) shares fell almost 2% in recent trade.

^NZ50ASX:KMDASX:VNTNZE:KMDNZE:VNT
International

Quantity Sold at GDT Pulse Auction Nears 2,900 Metric Tonnes

A total of 2,869 metric tonnes (MT) of products were sold during the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) pulse auction held Tuesday, with supply ranging from 2,550 MT to 3,000 MT, according to data from the trading platform.The average selling price for anhydrous milk fat was $6,922 per MT, butter averaged $5,950 per MT, and skim milk powder and whole milk powder averaged at $3,318 per MT and $3,621 per MT, respectively.

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Asia

New Zealand Shares Flat Despite Hopes of US-Iran Peace Talks; Winton Land Secures Approval for Ayrburn Screen Hub Under Fast-Track Act

New Zealand shares ended flat on Tuesday while most Asian stocks saw gains as investors hope for a US-Iran peace agreement.The S&P/NZX 50 Index was little changed to close at 13,017.26.Dialogue between the US and Iran is "still alive," even after the failed negotiations that took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to a Monday Reuters report, citing sources familiar with the matter.Also, US ​President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran "called this morning" and wants to make a deal, but he will not agree to an agreement that does not forbid Iran from having a nuclear weapon, according to a Monday Reuters report."The failed weekend talks did not produce a deal, but they also did not close the door on diplomacy, ​and that is enough for equities to keep pushing higher for now," said Charu Chanana, Saxo's ⁠chief investment strategist, as quoted by Reuters in a separate report.In domestic news, the share of first home buyers' property purchases in New Zealand in the March quarter was over 27%, buoyed by lower house prices, reduced mortgage rates, and policy measures, Cotality said.In corporate news, Winton Land (NZE:WIN, ASX:WTN) received conditional approval from the expert panel for the Ayrburn Screen Hub under the Fast-track Approvals Act, with the decision now subject to a 20 working day appeal period.Westpac Banking (NZE:WBC, ASX:WBC) will boost credit provisions for customers in energy-intensive sectors due to the volatility and economic uncertainty created by the Middle East conflict.

^NZ50ASX:WBCASX:WTNNZE:WBCNZE:WIN

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