01.02.202622:43:24UTC+00New Zealand Stocks Start the Week Lower

The NZX 50 index experienced a decline of 76 points, or 0.6%, settling at 13,346 in Monday's morning trading session. This downturn interrupted gains from the prior session and mirrored the drop seen on Wall Street last Friday, influenced by increased Treasury yields and a strengthening dollar. This movement came in the wake of President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as a potential successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Additionally, investor sentiment was dampened by recent economic data from China, which revealed a contraction in the private sector of New Zealand’s primary trading partner. The data showed a contraction in the services sector and factory activity growth falling short of expectations. Traders were also eyeing key employment figures, anticipating the release of the domestic unemployment rate for Q4 later in the week, following a rise to its highest point since Q4 2016. Furthermore, U.S. jobs data was also on their radar. Across the board, nearly all sectors were experiencing declines, including materials, healthcare, financials, and industrials. Notable underperformers included Westpac Banking Corp. (-1.9%), Delegat Group (-1.8%), Fisher & Paykel (-1.0%), A2 Milk (-0.7%), and FC Investment (-0.5%).