NZ sharemarket down early

Shares in healthcare equipment supplier Ebos rose strongly early, despite ending unchanged yesterday after reporting a 38 per cent rise in half year profit as sales grew and costs fell.

Ebos shares were up 23c, or 3.9 per cent, early to $6.20 in a broadly lower market.

Air New Zealand shares fell 2c early to $1.29 after first half profit more than doubled, but the airline said it expected a weaker second half. Auckland Airport slipped 1c to 185 on a 4.7 per cent rise in half year profit when a property charge in the previous period was excluded.

Pyne Gould Corp shares were unchanged on 45c early after the finance and investment company returned to profit in the first half.

Around 10.15am the benchmark NZX-50 index was down 7.63 points to 3144.05, after yesterday gaining 20.8 points.

Among leading shares, Fletcher Building fell 5c to $7.95 early, Contact Energy was down 4c to $6.10, and Telecom dropped 2c to $2.29. NZX was down 4c to $2.01 and NZ Oil & Gas lost 2c to $1.51.

***

In the United States, stocks fell as sentiment took a hit from data showing a weaker-than-expected labour market after global markets were unsettled by fiscal woes in Greece.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.5 per cent to 10,321.71 at the closing bell, the tech-dominated Nasdaq ended with a loss of 0.1 per cent at 2234.22, and the broad Standard & Poor's 500 index dipped 0.2 per cent to a preliminary close of 1102.99.

- NZPA