New Zealand shares slipped 54 points, or 0.4%, to 13,741 in Friday morning trade, as investors locked in profits following the index’s record high the previous day. The market mirrored overnight weakness on Wall Street, driven by disappointing economic data and renewed questions over the sustainability of AI-related spending.
Sentiment was further weighed down by persistently elevated oil prices, which reinforced inflation concerns and heightened expectations of additional interest rate hikes. Caution also dominated ahead of next week’s key events: the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision and China’s PMI releases. Domestically, traders were also positioning for June data on New Zealand consumer confidence and business outlook, both due next week.
Losses were broad-based, with energy, financials, communication services, healthcare, and consumer discretionary sectors dragging the index lower. Notable decliners included Infratil (-0.8%), Fisher & Paykel (-0.6%), Hallenstein Glasson (-0.6%), Westpac Banking Corp. (-0.5%), and Freightways (-0.4%). Despite Friday’s pullback, the benchmark remains on track for a 0.3% weekly gain, partially recovering from last week’s decline.
