NZ market turns lower, awaits earnings reports

The New Zealand sharemarket fell today while other markets rose as investors continued to bide their time until companies report earnings this month.

The benchmark NZX-50 index closed down 12.253 points, or 0.389 per cent, at 3135.113. Turnover was worth $80.2 million. There were 36 rises and 52 falls among the 120 stocks traded.

AMP rose 15c to 790 after Reuters reported the company would not seek to extend its exclusive agreement with AXA SA for a bid for the French firm's Australian unit. Ending the agreement paves the way for rival National Australia Bank.

The big component in the New Zealand index were down with Fletcher Building shedding 8c to 775 and Telecom losing a cent to 234.

Auckland International Airport, which had its trading halt lifted yesterday after the institutional component of its capital raising, was down a cent at 195 after a 6c gain yesterday.

The Warehouse eased 3c to 382, Hallenstein Glasson eased 3c to 362 and Hellaby rose 3c to 169. Smiths City Group rose 3c to 40 after saying it had leased space for a store in Upper Hutt.

Stocks in positive territory included Contact Energy, up 5c at 585 and TrustPower, up 3c to 733.

Infratil rose 1c to 163, Mainfreight rose 4c to 587 and Freightways rose 2c to 337.

NZ Refining rose 5c to 380, Nuplex rose 1c to 324 and Sanford rose 4c to 480.

New Image eased 6c to 48 after reporting a net profit after tax fell to $3.6 million in the six months ended December 31 from $5.6m in the same period last year.

NZ Farming Systems Uruguay eased a cent to 43 after prices in Fonterra's latest internet auction were lower.

Rakon eased 4c to 108.

Fisher & Paykel Appliances was unchanged at 60 on a day in which US appliance maker Whirlpool Corp gained 8.1 per cent after reporting a sharp increase in first-quarter earnings.

US stocks rallied for a second day on Tuesday as better-than-expected earnings and encouraging data calmed investors after the market's recent sell-off.

Rising sales of previously owned US homes and robust earnings from bellwethers representing consumer and industrial businesses.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 111.32 points, or 1.09 per cent, to end at 10,296.85.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 14.13 points, or 1.30 per cent, to 1103.32.

The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 18.86 points, or 0.87 per cent, to 2190.06. The S&P 500`s gain was its biggest two-day percentage jump since October 2009, after falling 6.2 per cent in the last three weeks of January.

The day's home sales data followed a string of encouraging economic news, including Monday's data on the US manufacturing sector from the Institute for Supply Management, and Friday's report on the economy's fourth-quarter growth.

- NZPA