NZ shares fall; Z Energy sinks on profit warning

Z Energy fell as much as 17.3 per cent, ending the day at $4.23, down 12.8 per cent. Photo / File

New Zealand shares fell as Z Energy's warning of lower profits and smaller dividends cast a long shadow over the market.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index declined 66.39 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 11,241.59. Within the index, 28 stocks fell, 18 rose, and four were unchanged. Turnover was $123.8 million, of which Z Energy accounted for $18 million.

Z Energy fell as much as 17.3 per cent, ending the day at $4.23, down 12.8 per cent. The transport fuels retailer downgraded its earnings outlook and said it would pay a smaller dividend as its retail margins remained under pressure in an increasingly competitive market. At the same time, refining margins were skinnier.

"Why it is that competition has broken out quite vigorously in the last few months is a little bit hard to tell, but it most certainly has," said Matt Goodson, managing director at Salt Funds Management.

"Z had been a price leader in the market for quite some time and lost a fair bit of volume as a result, but the margin gains more than offset that."

The stock was also the most traded on a volume of 4.3 million shares, more than five times its 90-day average of 772,000. Refining NZ, which counts Z as a shareholder, fell 3.7 per cent to $1.90.

Infratil declined 1.5 per cent to $4.85 after the company said it faced a bigger performance fee to manager Morrison & Co from the A$1.07 billion ($1.1b) sale of Tilt Renewable's Snowtown 2 windfarm. Infratil owns 65 per cent of Tilt, which was up 1 per cent at $3.20.

The subdued local market was despite an upbeat international outlook after exit polls indicated Boris Johnson's Conservative Party would comfortably win a majority in the UK election, and on reports that the US and China had agreed to the first phase of a trade deal.

The trade news helped push the kiwi dollar up against the greenback, while the pound outperformed all currencies.

Gentrack, which derives about half its revenue in the UK, declined 0.3 per cent to $3.70 on a volume of 1.2 million shares, well up on its 153,000 average. Its chief financial officer Tim Bluett and director James Docking announced their exits today.

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, which counts the US as a major market, fell 2.5 per cent to $21.56.

The more certain macro-economic outlook also supported higher bond yields. The Federal Reserve this week indicated it was unlikely to cut interest rates further.

Goodson said those rising yields reduced the attraction of stocks typically held for their reliable dividend payments, such as property companies or utilities.

Argosy Property fell 2.9 per cent to $1.335, Property For Industry decreased 1.1 per cent to $2.36, Stride Property slipped 0.9 per cent to $2.25 and Precinct Properties New Zealand was down 0.8 per cent at $1.815 on a volume of 1.5 million shares.

Among other stocks trading on volumes of more than a million shares, Auckland International Airport was down 2 per cent at $8.75, Spark New Zealand fell 1.2 per cent at $4.29, Kiwi Property Group rose 1.3 per cent to $1.52, and Meridian Energy was up 0.3 per cent at $4.995.

Genesis Energy was down 1.5 per cent at $2.96. The country's biggest electricity retailer said it would seek to recertify one of the dual-fuel generators at Huntly to protect security of supply next year.

Pushpay Holdings posted the day's biggest gain, up 3.3 per cent at $3.10 with 159,000 shares changing hands, less than its 553,000 average. The church payments app developer today bought rival Church Community Builder for US$87.5m ($132.2m), funded by its existing cash and a debt facility.

Goodson said the acquired company had a wider focus than Pushpay's donation software and appeared to be a good fit.

Ryman Healthcare rose 2.9 per cent $15.90 while Port of Tauranga was up 2.3 per cent at a record $7.08.

Outside the benchmark index, Smith City Group fell 3.9 per cent to 25 cents. The retailer reported a first-half loss of $2.2m with revenue down 17 per cent at $95.1m. The company reported weak trading and one-off costs from rationalising its Auckland stores, but was optimistic about the outlook.

Evolve Education shares rose 2 per cent to 15 cents when they resumed trading. The stock had been halted for two days pending an A$18.9m placement to help funds its Australian expansion.