Stocks in New Zealand rose 21 points or 0.2% to 12,349 during Wednesday's morning session, partly recovering from losses in the prior session. The gains followed a positive lead from Wall Street Tuesday, as investors awaited updates on trade negotiations after the White House confirmed that countries must submit their best offers by today. At the same time, hopes for easing trade tensions grew amid reports that U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping may speak later this week, following Trump’s recent accusation that China is violating their trade agreement. Traders also monitored Australia’s upcoming Q1 GDP data, due later in the day, amid concerns over sluggish growth driven by a weak external sector and subdued domestic demand. The advance was led by strength in consumer durables and non-durables, financials, and energy minerals. Early performers included Mercury NZ Ltd. (up 2.0%), Restaurant Brands NZ (1.3%), A2 Milk Co. (1.2%), and Scales Corp. (0.9%).