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Results season confidence drives NZ sharemarket up

Results season confidence drives NZ sharemarket up

NZ Herald3 days ago
'New Zealand is still not really into the heart of results season, so I think it's pretty much still wait-and-see mode ahead of results,' Goodson said.
'There was a bit of a strange lead from the US overnight. Their market rallied quite strongly despite the fact that inflation data was a touch higher than expected.'
On the main board, Goodson pointed to Napier Port's strong nine-month result, despite its share price falling 1.89% to $3.12.
The business reported its revenue increased 16.4% to $42.5m from $36.5m in the same period last year.
'They're clearly seeing extremely good export volumes at present, so they've reiterated guidance at the top end of their guidance range.
'The stock has been very strong in recent months, partly on the improved macro outlook, partly on index inclusions, but I think that result certainly strengthened the name.'
Elsewhere, Infratil had a minor independent valuation update. Its share price dipped 0.005c to $11.78.
Vital Healthcare Property Trust's share price lifted 0.51% to $1.99 after it released its full-year financials.
Goodson said Vital's gearing was relatively high at almost 42% on a committed basis, with no significant progress on further investments.
'The Australian healthcare property sector is in a real state of turmoil at the moment due to the receivership of Healthscope, the second-largest hospital chain in Australia.
'Investors just have some question marks about the rental affordability for some of the hospital tenants and the valuations attached to some of the hospital assets in Australia.'
Meanwhile, My Food Bag investors sold off in high volume today after the company gave an update to the market at its annual general meeting.
While the business's revenue growth continued – with sales up 3.8% over the first four months of trading compared with the same period last year – gross margins for the first half of 2026 were expected to be below those for the first half of this year because 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 on Tuesday local time after US data showed stable inflation despite worries over President Donald Trump's tariffs, lifting expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
Major indices spent the entire session in positive territory, with both the broad-based S&P 500 and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index finishing at fresh records.
'We're in a bull market,' said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments. 'The bulls are strong and getting stronger.'
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 1.1% at 44,458.61.
The S&P 500 also gained 1.1% to 6445.76, while the Nasdaq jumped 1.4% to 21,681.90.
The consumer price index rose 2.7% from a year ago in July, the same rate as in June.
– Additional reporting AFP
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
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Rate-cut reality check - too little, too late: Nick Stewart
Rate-cut reality check - too little, too late: Nick Stewart

NZ Herald

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Rate-cut reality check - too little, too late: Nick Stewart

Higher starting debt, unfavourable interest rates, adverse growth trends and long-term pressures from aging and climate change are converging into a perfect storm. Despite claims of $44 billion in savings, the Government has reallocated spending rather than shrinking it. It's hard for hope not to fade when our government appears to lack the mettle to take the bull by the horns. The 'price of butter' facade may have fooled some, but not many. Butter is a product that hasn't changed in eons – full cream milk, add salt and churn. No smoke and mirrors or PR spin, just butter. Yet politicians obsess over its retail pricing while avoiding hard decisions on fiscal consolidation that might actually address underlying inflation pressures. The great capital migration Capital flows as freely as people in an interconnected world. Just as 230,000 Kiwis have voted with their feet over two years seeking better opportunities offshore, smart money increasingly looks beyond our borders for superior returns. The recent emigration shows a damning verdict on New Zealand's economic trajectory. These are productive citizens, who see limited prospects in a country determined to tax productivity whilst subsidising speculation. Human capital flight and financial capital mobility share parallels –both respond to incentives and seek the best risk-adjusted returns. Housing market dysfunction remains Our housing market remains in purgatory, with prices stubbornly elevated while transaction volumes are sluggish. Latest data shows 'days to sell' extending and prices slipping nationally for six of the past seven months. Wednesday's modest rate cut is unlikely to break this deadlock. Young Kiwis are emigrating, recognising their homeownership prospects have been systematically destroyed by policies prioritising incumbent wealth over economic dynamism. The social contract promising hard work would lead to homeownership has been broken: 72% of Kiwis without a home believe buying a property is beyond their reach. Yet, many Kiwis remain dangerously over-exposed to residential real estate. Rethinking investment The traditional Kiwi approach of leveraging into property and hoping for the best is dangerous where house prices may stagnate while debt service costs remain higher. Global equity markets continue to climb, with the S&P 500 delivering 5-year annualised returns of 15.71%. Meanwhile, New Zealand's NZX50 has delivered a dismal 1.8% annualised return over the same period. The performance gap is devastating. A $100,000 investment in the S&P 500 over five years would have grown to $208,000, versus approximately $109,000 in the NZX50. This $99,000 difference is a documented reality for investors who remained domestically focused while global opportunities compounded wealth at dramatically higher rates. Complexity extends beyond simple asset allocation. Tax implications vary dramatically between domestic and international investments. Currency hedging decisions can make or break returns. Liquidity needs must account for potential emigration scenarios – a consideration rational investors now embrace. Economic crossroads ahead New Zealand stands at an economic crossroads between fiscal irresponsibility leading to Japanese-style stagnation, or making hard decisions to restore economic dynamism. Next Wednesday's timid rate cut suggests we're choosing the former. For investors, the message is clear: adapt or suffer consequences. Capital, like talent, flows to where it's best treated. The 230,000 Kiwis who've recognised this reality are canaries in the coal mine. Smart investors should ensure their wealth enjoys the same mobility their fellow citizens have embraced. The coming rate cut won't be cause for celebration – it will be a symptom of deeper malaise and policy impotence facing structural decline. - Nick Stewart's iwi affiliations are Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāti Waitaha).

The US and Europe are still doing billions of dollars' worth of business with Russia despite years of war
The US and Europe are still doing billions of dollars' worth of business with Russia despite years of war

RNZ News

time13 hours ago

  • RNZ News

The US and Europe are still doing billions of dollars' worth of business with Russia despite years of war

By Lauren Kent, CNN A ship carrying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) unloads gas in the port of Bilbao, Spain, on March 10, 2022. Photo: Vincent West/Reuters via CNN Newsource US President Donald Trump is threatening an additional 25 percent tariff on India as well as higher tariffs on other countries that buy Russian oil, in an attempt to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine . But the United States and Europe themselves are still doing billions of dollars in trade with Russia - although that's a fraction of the trade that took place before the war. India has argued that it's being unfairly targeted with the tariff increase, calling it "unjustified" given that other nations also do business with Moscow. Trade between Russia and the US has fallen by about 90 percent since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but last year, the US still imported US$3 billion worth of goods from Russia, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the European Union - which has been the Americans' partner in sanctions against Russia - imported US$41.9 billion of goods from Russia in 2024, data from the bloc's statistics agency shows. "It's significant, but I think the more significant thing is how quickly the EU adjusted to reduce their dependency on Russia," said Kimberly Donovan, director of the Economic Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council, a DC-based think tank. "They're making huge strides to further reduce how much they're getting from (Russia)." EU imports from Russia dropped by 86 percent between the first quarters of 2022 and 2025, according to Eurostat data. "I do think that there is a lot of opportunity for the US and even the EU to increase our trade with countries like Canada and get the products that we need from them," Donovan added. "That's where the trade wars and the negotiations over tariffs are really throwing things for a loop and are reducing our ability to be strategic in how we're approaching the Russia problem." As Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska Friday, a top US official warned that India could see more tariffs coming their way if the talks don't go well. "We've put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I can see if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg. These are the areas where economic ties with Russia remain the strongest, for the US and Europe respectively. Fertilizer: The US imported US$927 million worth of fertilizer in the first half of this year, US Census Bureau data shows. Last year, fertilizer imports from Russia totaled more than US$1 billion. The US particularly relies on Russia for imports of three types of chemical fertilizers: urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and potassium chloride muriate of potash, also called potash. "Unless the US sanctions Russian fertilizer imports, as it does with Belarusian potash, this (level of trade) is likely to continue," said Allan Pickett, head of fertilizer analysis at S&P Global Commodity Insights. "Russia remains one of the most important global fertilizer suppliers and the influence of it has not diminished since 2022." "Urea and potash could be readily sourced from elsewhere, although with potash it would further increase US dependence on Canada, which currently has an interesting trade dynamic," Pickett added. The Trump administration recently hiked tariffs on Canada to a minimum of 35 percent - unless goods are compliant with the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement - escalating ongoing trade tensions with its northern neighbor. Palladium: Although palladium imports from Russia have reduced significantly since 2021, data shows that the US still imported US$878 million worth of the metal in 2024 and US$594 million worth in 2025, through June. The silvery metal is used in various electronic and industrial products and it's a key component in the catalytic converters of cars. Uranium and plutonium: The US has imported US$755 million worth of uranium and plutonium from Russia so far this year, according to Census data through June. It imported US$624 million worth of those commodities from Russia in 2024. Oil: Russia was the largest supplier of petroleum to the European Union prior to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU has since imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports, as well as refined oil products, like diesel. As a result, oil imports to Europe fell to US$1.72 billion (€1.48 billion) for the first quarter of 2025, down from US$16.4 billion (€14.06 billion) in the same quarter of 2021, according to the most recent data from Eurostat. The top European importers of Russian fossil fuels in July 2025 were Hungary, France, Slovakia, Belgium and Spain, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, an international research organization. Hungary and Slovakia accounted for the vast majority of crude oil imports, according to the analysis, while the others import mostly liquefied natural gas. Natural gas: The value of natural gas imports from Russia actually increased in the last four years as a result of price increases, growing to US$5.23 billion (€4.49 billion) in the first quarter of 2025, Eurostat data shows. 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Nickel is primarily used to make stainless steel and other alloy steels, as well as batteries. Beyond imports and exports of commodities, many Western companies remain entrenched in Russia. Some notable American-based holdouts continue to operate in Russia, including top 100 companies, according to lists compiled by the Yale School of Management and the Kyiv School of Economics Institute. Dozens of European businesses, including consumer-facing brands, retailers and software companies, have also remained in Russia. The amount of tax revenue that Western companies generate for the Kremlin is relatively small, but analysts say the companies that remain have allowed aspects of normal life to continue for the Russian population. Corporate exits serve to bring the war closer to the Russian people and confront their "complacency," as well as make it more difficult for Putin to paint a picture of a well-functioning economy, said Yale School of Management's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, whose large team of researchers keeps track of which companies have left. "It's an imploding market - it was never an economic superpower to start with - which is just a lot of smoke and mirrors, a lot of bravado on the part of Putin to try to create an aura of something bigger," Sonnenfeld told CNN. In contrast to the reduction in trade with Moscow seen in the United States and EU, India imported $67 billion worth of goods from Russia in 2024, according to data aggregated by the United Nations. Roughly $53 billion worth of that was petroleum oils and crude oil. Before the full-scale war, in 2021, India imported US$8.7 billion worth of goods from Russia. India's imports of Russian oil and gas have skyrocketed since before the war began. 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Seabed Miner Slows Fast Track With 'Cynical' Response
Seabed Miner Slows Fast Track With 'Cynical' Response

Scoop

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Seabed Miner Slows Fast Track With 'Cynical' Response

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