New Zealand stocks fell 31 points or 0.2% to 13,250 in Tuesday’s morning trade, ending a three-day winning streak. Losses were driven by communications, consumer durables, and healthcare, as traders locked in gains after the NZX 50 hit a near four-year high in the prior session. Sentiment was further dented by weak August trade data from China, New Zealand’s top trading partner, with both exports and imports rising less than expected amid growing trade barriers and sluggish domestic demand. Locally, Q2 manufacturing sales fell 0.6% y/y, marking the first decline in three quarters and reversing Q1’s 4.1% gain. Still, a modest uptick in U.S. futures helped limit downside after a positive lead from Wall Street Monday, where the Nasdaq closed at a record ahead of key inflation and jobs data. Spark NZ led declines (-4.4%), followed by Ryman Healthcare (-1.6%), T&G Global (-1.5%), Infratil (-1.2%), and Meridian Energy (-1.0%).