The NZX 50 increased 22 points, or 0.2%, to 12,953 in morning trade on Monday, up for the third consecutive session, mainly supported by gains in energy, industrials, and communication services. Traders braced for the announcement of earnings results from some companies later today. However, a downbeat session on Wall Street on Friday capped the gains amid ongoing, persistent inflation in the US economy. Traders also awaited US jobs data for August to guide the Fed's monetary policy decision this month, as well as China's PMI manufacturing figure from a private survey, after official data showed that factory activity on the mainland continued to contract in August. On the data front, New Zealand building permits rose by 5.4% from a month earlier in July, rebounding from a 6.4% fall in June. Among early gainers were Henderson Far East Income (1.9%), Ebos Group (1.8%), Auckland International Airport (1.3%), F&C Investment Trust (0.8%), and Port of Tauranga (0.8%).