The NZX 50 rose 29 points, or 0.2%, to 12,944 in early trading on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s gains after fresh data showed that inflation remained steady in Q1 despite rising oil prices. Annual inflation held at 3.1% in the March quarter, unchanged from the September quarter’s 1.5-year high and above market expectations of 2.9%, reinforcing expectations that the RBNZ will keep interest rates on hold at its upcoming meeting.
Most sectors traded higher, with gains across energy, consumer staples, healthcare, and real estate. Sentiment was also supported by data released on Monday showing a NZ$0.70 billion trade surplus in March, a turnaround from the NZ$0.79 billion deficit recorded in the same month of 2025.
However, upside was limited by a weak session on Wall Street overnight, as renewed tensions in the Middle East and a setback in US–Iran negotiations weighed on global risk appetite.
Early leaders on the NZX 50 included F&C Investment Trust (+2.9%), A2 Milk (+1.4%), Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (+1.1%), Sky Network TV (+1.0%), and Mainfreight (+0.4%).
