by BusinessDesk
The S&P/NZX 50 Index closed down 0.09% or 12.932 points to 13,604.55 after 31.1 million shares worth $116.2 million were traded.
The S&P/NZX 20 index was down 0.12%, closing at 7787.09 points, while the S&P/NZX 10 index ended the day at 13,002.18 after falling 0.18%.
There were 70 gainers on the main board and 61 decliners.
A quiet day
Generate investment specialist Greg Smith said it was a quiet day for the market, with many investors looking towards the end of the week.
“We’ll get quite a bit more insight over the next few days with some macro data prints and results from Mainfreight and Infratil about exactly how the New Zealand economy is shaping as we get into the final stanza of the year,” Smith said.
Mainfreight is set to report its half-year results on Wednesday, with Infratil reporting its half-year result on Thursday, along with Stats NZ data on electronic card spending and international travel for September.
Smith said Mainfreight’s result would offer key insights into the freight industry and the impact of tariffs on its international operations.
“The shutdown might have helped them in the US, and then obviously there’ll be a lot of focus on what they’re seeing activity wise in Australia but also particularly in New Zealand.”
Mainfreight’s share price was down 1.19% or 71c to $58.99 prior to the result, after 38,063 shares changed hands on turnover worth $2.2 million.
Elsewhere, Ebos Group’s share price fell 1.19% or 34c to $28.20 on turnover worth $8.8m, while a2 Milk was down 1.27% or 14c to $10.87 on turnover worth $2.9m.
Meanwhile, Vital Healthcare’s share price fell 7.80% or 17c to $2.01 following the news yesterday it had reached a conditional agreement to take back the management rights from Northwest Healthcare Property Trust.
The property index was down by just under 1%.
SkyCity lifts
In more positive news, SkyCity’s share price lifted 1.32% or 1c to $0.76 after being granted the renewal of its Queenstown casino venue licence for another 15 years.
Freightways’ shares also lifted, rising 1.78% or 25c to $14.30 on turnover worth $1.4m.
US stock markets charged higher as investors cheered prospects that the US Government shutdown could be nearing an end, after lawmakers reached a deal likely to break the record 40-day impasse.
The prospect of operations resuming in the world’s biggest economy helped temper lingering worries about extended tech valuations amid talk of an AI bubble.
A government reopening could also provide clarity on US inflation and on the soft labour market, which will determine whether the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates again, as is widely expected next month.
The tech-rich Nasdaq closed up 2.3% at 23,527.17, the S&P 500 closed up 1.5% at 6832.43, and the Dow closed up 0.8% at 47,368.63.
– Additional reporting AFP
| « NZX flat as Vital Healthcare announces $200m capital raise | Mainfreight result lifts sharemarket as investors eye Infratil update » |
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