The NZX 50 rose 84 points, or 0.6%, to 13,229 in Thursday morning trade, extending gains from the previous session and tracking a rally on Wall Street overnight amid hopes of a potential US-Iran end to the war and solid AI stock earnings. Wednesday's unemployment data continued to lift sentiment, as the jobless rate unexpectedly declined to 5.3% in Q1. The latest figure was lower than both the previous quarter and market expectations of 5.4%, which had been the highest level since Q2 2015. The broader index hit its highest level since April 9, mainly supported by the healthcare, tech, and materials sectors. A statement from RBNZ Governor Anna Breman also continued to fuel sentiment, noting that the country’s financial system is resilient and well-positioned to support households and businesses. Top performers included Fisher & Paykel (2.1%), Gentrack Group (1.9%), Ebos Group (1.4%), AFT Pharmaceuticals (1.1%), Contact Energy (1.0%), A2 Milk (0.6%), and Westpac Banking Corp. (0.5%).