New Zealand shares rose 173 points, or 1.3%, to 13,271 in Tuesday morning trading, breaking a two-day losing streak. The rebound followed a late rally on Wall Street overnight as geopolitical tensions eased, after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran may be approaching an end. Sentiment was also supported by bargain hunting, with local equities recovering from a two-week low hit on Monday amid surging oil prices and renewed inflation concerns.
In China, annual inflation in February climbed to a three-year high, while the decline in producer prices slowed, offering a mixed signal on cost pressures. On the NZX, gains were led by manufacturing, healthcare, and utilities, although softness in technology and logistics stocks limited the overall advance. Among notable movers were Scott Technology, up 3.5%; EBOS Group, 2.7%; Infratil, 2.4%; and Ryman Healthcare, 2.2%.
Investors are now looking ahead to China’s combined January–February trade figures due later today, as well as key domestic data releases this week, including Q4 manufacturing sales, February PMI readings, and January visitor arrival numbers.
