FX.co ★ New Zealand Equities Ease But Head for 3rd Straight Weekly Gains

In early trading on Friday, the NZX 50 dipped by 13 points, or 0.1%, to reach 13,564. This marks its second consecutive decline, pulling back from record highs following a significant sell-off on Wall Street on Thursday. The American market witnessed renewed weakness in tech stocks and faced a soft labor market, contributing to the downturn. Moreover, concerns about the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now the longest in history, added to the cautious mood among investors. Anticipation grew ahead of significant data releases from China, New Zealand's largest trading partner, including October's trade figures and CPI/PPI numbers, set to be released later. The benchmark index was primarily weighed down by losses in logistics, energy minerals, and industrial services sectors, with notable stocks such as Briscoe Group declining by 2.6%, Sanford Ltd. by 2.0%, South Port NZ by 1.8%, and Scott Technology by 1.3%. Nevertheless, the market is still on track for its third consecutive weekly gain, bolstered by expectations of further monetary easing from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) later this month, following weak labor data for Q3.