New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.7% to close at 13,758 on Wednesday, snapping a three-day losing streak and setting a record high, driven by gains in health tech, industrials, and utilities. Traders anticipated the improved trade figures from China, New Zealand’s top trading partner, while gains in Chinese stocks also supported sentiment. Domestically, investors are awaiting Thursday’s release of business PMI and food inflation data. Among movers, Fisher and Paykel (+0.7%), Turners Automotive (+0.7%), Mainfreight (+0.7), Infratil (+1.1%), Spark NZ (+1.3%), Vista Group (+0.9%), Auckland International (+0.6%), and Contact Energy (+1%). Investors are also awaiting next week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, led by Trump, for clues on future policy and economic direction, potentially influencing global market trends.
