The NZX 50 rose 13 points, or 0.1%, to 13,089 in Thursday morning trading, extending the previous session’s gains and tracking an overnight rally on Wall Street, underpinned by optimism over potential US–Iran ceasefire talks. The benchmark advanced for a second consecutive day, led primarily by consumer discretionary, financial, and real estate stocks.
Upside momentum was limited, however, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of a raft of Chinese economic releases due later in the day. Markets are particularly focused on first-quarter GDP data from New Zealand’s largest trading partner, with consensus expectations pointing to year-on-year growth of 4.8%, compared with a 4.5% expansion in Q4 2024.
Among notable movers were Hallenstein Glasson Holdings (up 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%).
