Market Announcements
Market Summary
Strong performances from major healthcare companies Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Ebos Group helped lift the NZ sharemarket on Monday after the annual inflation rate came in below market expectations. On the main board, the S&P/NZX 50 Index closed up 0.63% or 81.10 points, rising to 12,961.51, with 27.6 million shares changing hands to the value of $85.1m. The S&P/NZX 20 index closed at 7,605.63, up 0.62%, while the S&P/NZX 10 index ended the day at 12,681.57, rising 0.77%. There were 79 gainers on the main board and 59 decliners.
The consumers price index (CPI) increased 2.7% in the 12 months to the June 2025 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ on Monday. It means the official inflation rate is at its highest point in the last year, but the rise in the June quarter was lower than expected at 0.5%.
On the main board, healthcare companies Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Ebos Group performed strongly. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare shares rose 1.45% to $37.07, after 164,162 shares changed hands for a value of $6m. While Ebos Group shares rose 0.88% to $40.15, after shares worth $6.6m were traded.
Infratil, meanwhile, saw its share price fall 8c to $11.47, after $5.1m worth of shares traded hands. Elsewhere on the market, Mainfreight’s share price fell, dropping 95c to $67.00 after 58,182 shares traded hands to the value of $3.8m.
In Hong Kong, equities mostly rose on Monday on optimism that countries will reach US trade deals before an Aug 1 deadline, while the yen gained after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he would stay in office despite another election defeat. Hong Kong topped 25,000 points for the first time in three years as tech giants advanced following strong earnings from Taiwanese chip giant TSMC and news that US titan Nvidia would be allowed to export key semiconductors to China. While only three countries have signed agreements to avoid the worst of Donald Trump’s tariffs, analysts said investors were hopeful that others – including Japan and South Korea – will follow suit. The upbeat mood has been bolstered by a series of largely positive US economic data releases, which suggested the world’s top economy remained in robust health, helping to push Wall Street to multiple record highs.
Source: Business Desk
Australian Market Report
Ahead of the local open SPI futures were 19 points higher at 8582.
- close [Morningstar with AAP]: The local bourse has been unable to push further into record territory, suffering its biggest loss in three months following a similar rally in the previous session.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday gave up three-quarters of Friday's gains, dropping 89 points, or 1.02 per cent, to 8,668.2, while the broader All Ordinaries fell 80.6 points, or 0.89 per cent, to 8,926.2.
The last two trading days have seen similar see-saw action to a pair of days in early April. Monday's losses were the ASX200's most severe since a 1.8 per cent drop on April 9, while Friday's 1.37 per cent gains were the index's best since a 2.27 per cent rally on April 8.
Investor attention would be fully captured by stocks this week as US company reporting season hits full stride and a number of important Australian companies address shareholders, Moomoo market strategist Michael McCarthy said.
It might be a hectic week for markets, he added, with a number of US Federal Reserve board members speaking publicly, the release of New Zealand inflation data as well as a gauge of Australian and US business activity known as the purchasing manager index.
Nine of the ASX's 11 sectors finished in the red, with energy gaining 1.2 per cent and materials adding 0.3 per cent.
The financial sector was the biggest loser, dropping 2.3 per cent amid sharp falls for all the big retail banks.
ANZ lost 2.5 per cent to $30.05, Westpac dropped 3.6 per cent to $33.07, CBA retreated 2.5 per cent to $177.87 while NAB fell 2.4 per cent to $38.25.
But AMP leapt 9.8 per cent to a five-month high of $1.685 after the financial services company said it had recorded its first quarter of positive cashflows into its superannuation business since the second quarter of 2017, when it was scrutinised by the financial services royal commission.
"This reflects our continued efforts to build a compelling member proposition which is delivering outstanding investment returns, service and education," said CEO Alexis George.
In the heavyweight mining sector, Rio Tinto rose 1.2 per cent to $114.46, Fortescue added 1.5 per cent to $17.25 and BHP climbed 0.4 per cent to $40.46.
South32 gained 4.5 per cent to $3.02 after the miner said it had grown sales volumes by 21 per cent in the June quarter and beaten guidance on manganese production.
Spartan Resources dropped 1.8 per cent to $1.965 and Ramelius Resources finished down 2.0 per cent to $2.46 as the WA Supreme Court approved Spartan's takeover by Ramelius.
Spartan shares are set to be suspended from the close of trade on Tuesday, with the takeover taking effect on Thursday.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.17 US cents, from 65.02 US cents at 5pm on Friday.
ON THE ASX:
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday dropped 89 points, or 1.02 per cent, to 8,668.2
The broader All Ordinaries fell 80.6 points, or 0.89 per cent, to 8,926.2.
The NZX 50 Lost -3.19 points (-0.02%) to 12958.32
Overseas Market Report
[Morningstar with Dow Jones]:
U.S. stocks ended mixed. The DJIA was unchanged at 44,323.07, the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 6,305.60 and the Nasdaq climbed 0.4% to 20,974.18.
Among S&P 500 companies, the top three gainers were Verizon Communications Inc VZ surging 4.04%, The Hershey Co HSY jumped 3.19%, and Ross Stores Inc ROST lifted 3.14%.
The biggest decliners were EQT Corp EQT which dropped 9.51%, Expand Energy Corp EXE fell 8.46%, and Coterra Energy Inc CTRA lost 5.29%.
Asia
Chinese shares closed higher. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.7% to 3,559.79 and the Shenzhen Composite Index added 1% to 2,176.28.
Hong Kong shares ended higher. The benchmark Hang Seng Index climbed 0.7% to 24,994.14.
Japanese shares ended lower. The Nikkei Stock Average declined 0.2% to 39,819.11.
India shares ended higher. The BSE SENSEX climbed 0.5% to 82,200.34.
Europe
Stocks in the U.K. finished higher. The FTSE 100 Index rose 0.2% to 9,012.99. In Europe, shares closed mixed. The Germany's DAX added 0.1% to 24,307.80, and the France's CAC 40 declined 0.3% to 7,798.22
