KEY POINTS:
Another record close on Wall Street by the Dow Jones Industrials Average failed to inspire the local sharemarket which eased in sluggish early trading today.
The benchmark NZSX-50 index was off 5.22 points to 4169.68 at 10.15am after picking up a dozen points yesterday despite the Reserve Bank decision to hike interest rates.
Fisher & Paykel Appliances continued to rise in the wake of yesterday's decision to relocate some laundry product manufacturing to Thailand and slash 350 jobs locally. It rose 8c yesterday and was up another couple to 362 today.
The iconic whiteware company expects the move to produce benefits of between $10m and $15m a year, at a one-off cost of up to $25m, before tax.
Top stock Telecom fell another 4c today to go with yesterday's 4c fall to be on 476.
F&P Healthcare was up 1c to 363, having risen 8c yesterday and Contact Energy eased 3c to 910 after rising 11c yesterday.
NZX was up 10c to 990 after reporting a first quarter result up 48 per cent to $1.7m.
The Warehouse was down 5c to 705. The Commerce Commission today again delayed decisions on takeover applications by Woolworths and Foodstuffs.
Tourism Holdings was up 3c to 220 after this week upgrading its profit forecast.
Scott Technology, likely to be hurt by the high dollar, was down 6c to 213 while Software of Excellence was up 5c to 215.
Summit was down 8c to 660, with $8.4m of shares sold.
- NZPA