The NZX 50 rose 18 points, or 0.1%, to close at 13,182 on Tuesday, snapping a three-session losing streak. The local market tracked Wall Street higher after US shares extended their gains on Monday, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting that starts later today and concludes Wednesday, where interest rates are widely expected to be kept on hold amid elevated geopolitical risks.
Risk appetite was further supported by stronger-than-expected activity data from China, New Zealand’s largest trading partner. Investors largely looked past comments from US President Trump that his planned visit to mainland China will be pushed back by about a month due to the ongoing war in Iran. The meeting with President Xi, originally scheduled for March 31–April 2 following their last talks in October 2025, will now take place at a later date.
Sector performance was mixed. Utilities, financials, and industrial services led gains, while softness in consumer names, energy minerals, and healthcare limited the overall advance. Among individual movers, Chorus Ltd. added 2.0%, Seeka Ltd. climbed 1.9%, Meridian Energy gained 1.7%, and Napier Port Holdings rose 1.1%.
