The NZX 50 rose 42 points, or 0.3%, to 13,033 in Monday morning trade, advancing for a third consecutive session and reaching its highest level since May 13. The move mirrored Friday’s gains on Wall Street, supported by optimism over a potential US–Iran agreement to end the conflict. Sentiment was further buoyed by last week’s upbeat domestic data, which showed New Zealand’s Q1 retail sales beating expectations and the trade surplus hitting a record high, driven by exports at an all-time peak.
Investors remained focused on the RBNZ’s monetary policy decision later this week, with markets widely expecting the central bank to leave interest rates on hold, and on the forthcoming release of the government’s 2026 budget.
Sector-wise, healthcare, consumer staples, and energy stocks led the advance. Notable gainers included South Port NZ (up 1.9%), Infratil (1.1%), A2 Milk (1.0%), Summerset Group (1.1%), Fisher & Paykel (0.9%), and Mainfreight (0.6%).
