NZ stocks: Benchmarks down after mixed session offshore

12.00pm

The New Zealand sharemarket's benchmark indices were mixed today following small rises on Wall St.

By late morning the NZSX-50 gross index was down 0.04 per cent, or 1.00 points, at 2317.21, while the top-40 index was up 0.07 per cent at 2210.79.

On Wall St the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 0.30 per cent at 9777; the broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.12 per cent at 1048; and the Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.20 per cent, at 1936.

The FTSE-100 closed at 4265.7 points, down 0.17 per cent.

In New Zealand, market leader Telecom was down 1c at 492, while No 2 stock Carter Holt Harvey was down 2c at 185.

Turnover of 9.33 million stocks, valued at $26.60 million, was topped by Telecom's $11.4 million worth of shares.

Auckland International Airport, which said yesterday it was expecting its busiest ever period over the coming summer, was up 5c at 660.

Contact Energy rose 2c to 507, TrustPower gained 10c to 570, NGC Holdings was up 5c at 177, and Fisher & Paykel Appliances gained 5c to 1475.

ANZ Bank gained 11c to 2121, Baycorp Advantage was up 2c at 307, retailer Briscoe Group was up 1c at 198, Infratil rose 3c to 495, Skellmax was up 1c at 116 after its AGM yesterday, and fish exporter Sanford was up 3c at 533.

Air New Zealand lost 1c to 48, Fletcher Building was down 1c at 437, AMP shed 15c to 750 on under 1000 shares, and F&P Healthcare lost 15 to 1200.

Sky TV was up 9c at an 18-month high of 514 after it affirmed earnings guidance at its AGM yesterday of a net profit between $28 million and $35 million this financial year.

Suitor Independent Newspapers Ltd, which now has acceptances for about 78 per cent of Sky, was up 1c at 465.

Casino company Sky City was down 4c at 890, Guinness Peat Group lost 1c to 185, insurer Promina was down 4c at 387, and Software of Excellence was down 4c at 110.

Tranz Rail was up 3c at 126, while its suitor Toll Holdings made a grab for 12 per cent in Owens Group, the bulk freight company currently subject to a takeover offer from Mainfreight.

Mainfreight shares lost 6c to 140, Owens was up 6c at 113, and fellow transport company Freightways was unchanged at 189.

There were 34 rises and 24 falls on the 114 stocks traded.

- NZPA