976522114
The Markets

NZX 50 dips as Fletcher Building shares slumps

Wednesday 16th of August 2023

Following a sell-down on the major United States markets overnight, the S&P/NZX Index fell sharply at the opening and never recovered, though trading was steady thereon.

The index closed at 11,763.11 points, down 57.63 points or 0.49%. There were 84 decliners and 39 gainers on the main board, with 25.35 million shares worth $115.35m changing hands.

The Reserve Bank of NZ (RBNZ) kept the official cash rate (OCR) at 5.5% but indicated it would need to remain restrictive for the foreseeable future, with the likelihood of a rate cut stretching into early 2025. There may be a further rate hike.

The bank said in the near term, there is a risk that activity and inflation measures do not slow as much as expected. Over the medium term, a greater slowdown in global economic demand, particularly in China, could weigh more on commodity prices and overall NZ export revenue.

Want to read the full article?

Click the button below to subscribe and will have free unlimited access for a limited time to full article and all other articles on the site.

You will also be able to comment on articles on Good Returns.