16.01.202605:11:31UTC+00NZX 50 Bounces Back, Logs Third Weekly Gain

New Zealand’s leading S&P/NZX 50 index gained 0.4%, closing at 13,718 on Friday, effectively recovering losses from the previous day. Investors maintained their focus on corporate earnings, economic trends, and global developments. Improved sentiment was buoyed by December's local manufacturing data, which reached a three-year peak, marking the third consecutive month of growth, coupled with a decline in food inflation. Among the notable gainers were Contact Energy, rising by 1.1%; Meridian Energy, up 1.3%; Mercury NZ, with a 0.5% increase; Auckland International Airport, advancing 0.2%; Infratil, gaining 0.6%; EBOS Group, climbing 1.1%; and Vista Group, which surged 2.3%. The market is poised for a fourth straight week of advancement, as investors await China’s Q4 GDP figures due on Monday and New Zealand's Q4 CPI later in the week. The IMF’s January 19 forecast suggests that global growth will remain robust, signaling optimism for exporters and cyclical stocks.