The NZX 50 rose 78 points, or 0.6% to 13.412 in Monday morning trade, extending gains in the previous session, hitting its highest level since December 11, mainly supported by gains from financials, healthcare, and tech sectors. The broader index tracked an upbeat session on Wall Street on Friday, buoyed by outperformance in tech stocks. Last week's positive data continued to lift sentiment, following a rebound in the country's economy amid a lack of new domestic catalysts, while hoping the Fed would further cut interest rates after softer inflation data. However, traders were cautious in a shortened trading week, with thin trading ahead of the Christmas holiday. Among early gainers were Infratil (1.9%), Ebos Group (1.5%), Summerset Group (1.0%), and Fisher & Paykel (0.9%). Meanwhile, Chorus fell 1.2%, amid news that last week confirmed the government would sell about $650 million in interest-free loans Chorus owes the government, which isn't due to be fully paid back until 2036.