18.01.202623:05:07UTC+00New Zealand Shares Edge Lower to Start the Week

The NZX 50 slipped by 44 points, or 0.3%, to 13,674 during Monday's morning trading session, reversing gains made in the previous session. This decline was primarily driven by downturns in the healthcare, industrials, consumer staples, and tech sectors. Traders are closely watching the upcoming release of Q4 domestic inflation data later this week, with market forecasts pegging the figure at 3%. This rate would remain consistent with the previous quarter, marking the highest level since the second quarter of 2024. In addition, investors are keenly awaiting a range of economic indicators from China—New Zealand's leading trading partner—including GDP, retail sales, and industrial production figures, expected to be released later today. Concerns over geopolitical issues and Federal Reserve policy uncertainties continue to weigh on market sentiment. On the individual stock front, Summerset Group dropped 1.2%, A2 Milk declined by 0.8%, Fisher & Paykel shed 0.7%, ANZ Group fell 0.5%, and both Auckland International Airport and Ebos Group saw decreases of 0.4%.