Market Announcements
Market Summary
The New Zealand sharemarket was up on Wednesday as many key stocks firmed in advance of their results, while updates from Napier Port and My Food Bag brought mixed returns. On the main board, the S&P/NZX 50 Index closed up 0.05% or 6.864 points, rising to 12,766.540, after 47.9 million shares worth $148.6m changed hands. The S&P/NZX 20 index closed at 7479.72 points, up 0.10%, while the S&P/NZX 10 index ended the day at 12,518.14, rising 0.15%. There were 62 gainers on the main board and 66 decliners.
On the main board Napier Port released a strong nine-month result, although its share price fell 1.89% to $3.12. The business reported that its revenue increased 16.4% to $42.5m from $36.5m in the same period last year.
Infratil had a minor independent valuation update. Its share price dipped 0.005c to $11.78.
ital Healthcare Property Trust's share price lifted 0.51% to $1.99 after releasing its full-year financials.
My Food Bag investors sold off in high volume after the company gave an update to the market at its annual meeting. While the business’ revenue growth continued with sales up 3.8% over the first four months of trading versus the same period last year, gross margins for the first half of 2026 were expected to be below the prior year as its price increases have lagged food price inflation. My Food Bag shares fell 4% or 1c to 24c after 545,194 shares changed hands.
Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records after United States data showed stable inflation, despite worries over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, lifting expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The consumer price index rose 2.7% from a year ago in July, the same rate as in June.
Source: Business Desk
Australian Market Report
Ahead of the local open SPI futures were 32 points higher at 8862.
- close [Morningstar with AAP]: Banking and utilities stocks dragged the Australian share market lower as Commonwealth Bank's full-year results fell short of high expectations and AGL's profits slumped.
The S&P/ASX200 finished down 53.7 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 8827.1 on Wednesday, as the broader All Ordinaries slid 47.2 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 9103.1.
Shares in Australia's biggest bank, which many analysts consider overvalued, fell 5.4 per cent, to $169.12, despite logging a healthy $10 billion full-year cash profit.
The other three big banks were also lower, together dragging the broader market down despite gains across six of 11 sectors.
NAB shares fell 2.6 per cent, to $38.16, and Westpac slipped 2.1 per cent, to $33.90, while ANZ edged only 0.2 per cent lower, to $31.87.
An official update on worker wages also landed on Wednesday, with the 0.8 per cent quarterly growth broadly in line with expectations.
It follows the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to cut interest rates on Tuesday, a widely expected move that is anticipated to be followed up with further easing if key economic data unfolds in line with the central bank's expectations
Westpac senior economist Justin Smirk said wages growth was tracking broadly in line with the RBA's thinking and the figures presented "no risk to the medium-term outlook for inflation and thus interest rates".
Wall Street had a better session after US inflation figures came in healthier than expected, a hopeful sign businesses are not yet passing through full tariff pressures to consumers.
The US-China trade truce also got another 90-day extension.
Australian miners had a better day, with BHP up 1.1 per cent to $41.73, Rio Tinto tracked 0.5 per cent higher to $117.84 and Fortescue shares rising 1.4 per cent to $19.93.
Gold miners performed strongly, led by Evolution Mining stocks that climbed 3.9 per cent after posting a profit nearly double the year before, in part thanks to high prices of the precious metal.
Shares in major energy retailer AGL tumbled 13.1 per cent after unveiling a 21 per cent fall in its underlying net profit after tax to $640 million, compared to $812 million in the year prior.
Treasury Wine Estate stocks rose 1.2 per cent after posting a 15.5 per cent increase in annual underlying profits, with a focus on premium products helping to support the winemaking and distribution company's bottom line.
ON THE ASX:
The S&P/ASX200 finished down 53.7 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 8827.1.
The broader All Ordinaries slid 47.2 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 9103.1.
The NZX 50 added 23.19 points (0.18%) to 12789.73
Companies commencing Ex-Dividend Trading Today (ASX 300):
Dicker Data Limited
Rio Tinto Limited
Scentre Group
Overseas Market Report
[Morningstar with Dow Jones]:
U.S. stocks ended higher. The DJIA gained 1% to 44,922.27, the S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to 6,466.58 and the Nasdaq lifted 0.1% to 21,713.14.
Among S&P 500 companies, the top three gainers were Warner Bros. Discovery Inc WBD surging 7.40%, Match Group Inc MTCH jumped 6.37%, and Stanley Black & Decker Inc SWK lifted 6.37%.
The biggest decliners were Jabil Inc JBL which dropped 4.88%, The Kroger Co KR fell 4.38%, and GE Aerospace GE lost 3.85%.
Asia
Chinese shares closed higher. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lifted 0.5% to 3,683.46 and the Shenzhen Composite Index climbed 1.3% to 2,289.10.
Hong Kong shares ended higher. The benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 2.6% to 25,613.67.
Japanese shares ended higher. The Nikkei Stock Average added 1.3% to 43,274.67.
India shares ended higher. The BSE SENSEX gained 0.4% to 80,539.91.
Europe
Stocks in the U.K. finished higher. The FTSE 100 Index climbed 0.2% to 9,165.23. In Europe, shares closed higher. The Germany's DAX lifted 0.7% to 24,185.59, and the France's CAC 40 rose 0.7% to 7,804.97
