FX.co ★ New Zealand Stocks Rise for 3rd Session, Hold Near Two-Week High

New Zealand shares inched up 26 points, or 0.2%, to 13,558 in Wednesday morning trade, extending gains into a third consecutive session and hovering near a two-week high. Market sentiment drew support from Wall Street’s advance on Tuesday, as easing worries over AI-related disruption bolstered risk appetite. Investors also looked ahead to U.S. President Trump’s State of the Union address for fresh signals on trade policy. In China, a key trading partner, equities finished sharply higher on Tuesday following the Lunar New Year break, while the PBoC left its loan prime rates at record lows for a ninth straight month. Gains in Wellington were partly capped by caution ahead of upcoming January readings on business and consumer confidence. By sector, consumer services and process industries led the advance, while healthcare, financials, and industrial services underperformed. Among notable movers were EBOS Group (up 3.7%), Tourism Holdings (2.3%), Property for Industry (1.8%), and Scales Corp (1.6%).