The NZX 50 climbed 54 points, or 0.4%, to 13,549 in Monday morning trade, extending gains from the prior session, mainly supported by advances in consumer staples, materials, and healthcare stocks. Consumer staples surged 5.6%, boosted by a jump in A2 Milk, which soared 11.1% after the company received highly coveted regulatory approval from China to produce infant formula at Pokeno. The broader index hit its highest level since March 4, extending its second weekly rise as last week's data continued to support sentiment. New Zealand's GDP growth accelerated to 0.8% qoq in Q1, while annual growth held steady at 1.5%. However, a decline in US futures capped the gains, as President Trump's threats to restart the war with Iran, even as Vice President JD Vance met with Iranian officials for the first talks under an interim peace deal, weighed on sentiment. Other early gainers included Gentrack Group (2.1%), AFT Pharmaceuticals (1.9%), F&C Investment Trust (1.7%), and Fisher & Paykel (0.9%).