FX.co ★ New Zealand Equities End Slightly Lower

The NZX 50 edged down 10 points, or 0.1%, to close at 13,436 on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s losses, with materials, industrials, and healthcare stocks leading the decline. Investor sentiment remained cautious ahead of this week’s release of the US final Q1 GDP figures and the May PCE Price Index, both closely watched for guidance on the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook at its upcoming meeting, after it left interest rates unchanged last week. Gains in consumer staples, financials, and communication services helped limit the overall pullback. Further downside was also constrained by softer oil prices, which eased inflation concerns amid ongoing US-Iran peace talks and Washington’s decision to grant Iran a 60-day license to sell oil on international markets. Among individual names, Vulcan Steel slipped 3.0%, Briscoe Group lost 2.3%, Auckland International Airport fell 1.9%, Sanford declined 1.7%, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare dropped 1.6%, Ebos Group retreated 1.2%, and Mainfreight eased 1.0%.