New Zealand equities rose 37 points or 0.3% to 12,898 in early trade on Thursday, snapping a two-day losing streak and tracking modest Wall Street gains after Nvidia’s earnings and President Trump’s attempts to sway U.S. monetary policy. U.S. Treasury yields also eased ahead of key data releases, including Friday’s PCE index, closely watched by the Fed. Healthcare, logistics, and utilities led the advance in the NZX 50 amid expectations that the RBNZ may further ease policy to support domestic growth, following recent remarks from Prime Minister Luxon. Still, upside was capped by caution before August’s business confidence reading, after July’s three-month high fueled by easing inflation and steady credit access. On the corporate front, Air New Zealand posted a 15% drop in annual earnings due to global engine maintenance disruptions. Early gainers included Summerset Group (3.7%), Ebos Group (3.4%), Hallenstein Glasson (2.9%), and South Port NZ (2.4%).