The NZX 50 fell 23 points, or 0.2%, to 13,114 in Wednesday morning trade, extending weakness after a muted close the day before. Losses in tech services, financials, and utilities weighed on the index, tracking a negative lead from Wall Street after Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered no signals on a potential rate cut at the October meeting. Sentiment was further rattled by disappointment over the latest policy measures in top trading partner China, which fell short of expectations following remarks from top financial regulators earlier in the week. Locally, caution grew ahead of New Zealand’s September consumer confidence data, due in the coming days, after the August reading hit a 10-month low. This contrasted with improving business sentiment, which climbed to a three-month high and extended gains for the third straight month.