New Zealand Stocks Rise for 2nd Session

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 rose 0.4% to close at 12,816 on Tuesday, rising for the second straight session, boosted by strong performances in finance stocks.

Optimism about further easing of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s monetary policy next week also supported market sentiment.

The financial sector, the index’s largest, advanced over 1%, driven by gains from Westpac Banking (+1.4%) and ANZ Group (+1.6%).

Other key New Zealand stocks saw notable increases, including Fisher & Paykel (+1.3%), Meridian Energy (+2%), and Auckland International Airport (+1.8%).

In China, New Zealand's largest trading partner, the PBOC is set to review key lending rates the following day, after keeping the one-year and five-year loan prime rates at record lows in October.