The NZX 50 slipped 13 points, or 0.1%, to close at 13,102 on Thursday, extending the previous session’s losses and hitting its lowest level since May 25. The decline was led by consumer staples, financials, real estate, and communication services stocks.
The local market mirrored a weak session on Wall Street, as sentiment deteriorated amid a renewed escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Investors also weighed the risk that New Zealand could face a new 12.5% tariff from the US, after the US Trade Representative said 54 economies, including New Zealand, had failed to implement and effectively enforce a ban on goods produced with forced labour.
Sentiment remained fragile following Wednesday’s economic data, which showed New Zealand’s merchandise terms of trade fell by more than expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Among individual stocks, A2 Milk dropped 2.9%, Westpac Banking Corp. fell 2.2%, Briscoe Group declined 1.5%, Hallenstein Glasson lost 1.3%, Infratil slipped 0.7%, and both Mainfreight and ANZ Group eased 0.4%.
