New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.4% on Wednesday, closing at an all-time high of 13,715, driven largely by gains in the health tech and non-energy minerals sectors. The local market followed an upbeat session on Wall Street overnight, as investors appeared to look past US intervention in Venezuela and instead focused on upcoming US labor market data for further insight into the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook. Key contributors to the advance were heavyweights Fisher & Paykel (+3.1%), Meridian Energy (+0.5%), Mercury NZ (+0.6%), Ebos Group (+0.3%), and Spark NZ (+0.4%). Additionally, shares of Manuka surged 34.2% after the company confirmed plans to restart gold and silver production in the second quarter of 2026. Peer Santana Minerals gained 4.7%.
