19.02.202603:59:23UTC+00NZX 50 Jumps 1.3% at Finish

The NZX 50 jumped 173 points, or 1.3%, to finish at 13,420 on Thursday, building on the previous session’s gains as most sectors advanced, led by financials, healthcare, non-energy minerals, and logistics. Investors increased exposure after New Zealand’s central bank chief signaled a willingness to adjust policy as needed to return inflation to target. The RBNZ left the cash rate unchanged at 2.25% on Wednesday, reiterating that further hikes would depend on stronger inflationary pressures and more robust economic growth. Sentiment was also supported by a modest rise in U.S. futures after Wall Street’s rebound, driven by easing concerns around AI-related volatility and resilient economic data.

Minutes from the January FOMC meeting indicated that policymakers expect the impact of tariffs on core goods prices to fade over the course of the year, though opinions on the appropriate path for interest rates remained divided. Upside in the NZX 50 was limited by caution ahead of Friday’s January trade balance release and next week’s Q4 retail sales figures. Among individual movers, AFT Pharmaceuticals climbed 3.1%, Chorus Ltd. rose 3.0%, EBOS Group advanced 2.9%, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare gained 2.2%.