The NZX 50 climbed 26 points, or 0.2%, to 13,698 in morning trade on Thursday, hitting a new record high and tracking a rally on Wall Street overnight amid optimism about potentially ending the longest US government shutdown. Gains in energy, industrials, financials, and communication services mainly supported the upbeat session. Hopes for a Fed interest rate cut at the December meeting also continued to lift sentiment, supported by weakening labor data. Domestically, expectations of a rate cut by the RBNZ at its upcoming meeting, as well as fresh economic data, further fueled the broader index. The latest data showed New Zealand electronic card spending grew 0.2% mom in October, while tourist arrivals rose 9.6% yoy in September. Mainfreight surged 4.4%, extending its rally despite reporting an 18.5% drop in net profit for the first half to September. Other early gainers included Ebos Group (1.4%), Summerset Group (0.5%), ANZ Group (0.4%), and F&C Investment (0.4%).