19.02.202622:57:12UTC+00New Zealand Stocks Slip, Still Tracking Weekly Gain

New Zealand shares fell 67 points, or 0.5%, to 13,377 in Friday morning trade, halting a two-day rally after Wall Street pulled back on renewed geopolitical concerns. Investors assessed comments from U.S. President Trump, who said he would decide within 10 days whether to launch military strikes against Iran.

Profit-taking weighed on sectors including healthcare, non-energy minerals, and financials. Among the notable decliners were Briscoe Group (-1.7%), A2 Milk Co. (-1.5%), Vector Ltd. (-1.4%), and Napier Port Holdings (-1.3%).

Despite the retreat, the market remains on course for a weekly gain of about 1.4%, recovering from earlier weakness. Sentiment has been supported by the Reserve Bank’s decision this week to keep the cash rate unchanged at its first meeting of 2026, in line with expectations, and to signal that any future hikes would depend on stronger inflation and growth.

On the trade front, January’s deficit narrowed as exports outpaced imports, providing a modest additional lift to market confidence.