KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand stock exchange made a small gain early today, boosted by rises in several main stocks.
The benchmark NZSX-50 index was up 4.87 points to 4158.99 around 10 minutes after opening, clawing back a little of the 53.8 points lost on Friday.
Fletcher Building was up 4c early to 1172 after a 32c fall to end last week.
Fisher & Paykel Appliances was up 2c early to 350 following an 8c loss on Friday, F&P Healthcare was up 3c to 320 after a 6c loss, and Sky City was up 2c to 541 having lost 6c on Friday.
Top stock Telecom carried on from its 11c slide on Friday, after releasing quarterly results that failed to impress the market, dropping another 1c early today to 416.
Other early rises today included Freightways up 3c to 386, ING Property Trust up 1c to 114, Pumpkin Patch up 2c to 295, and Tourism Holdings up 2c to 239.
Stocks to fall early included Air New Zealand down 2c to 213, Contact Energy down 2c to 898, Hellaby Holdings down 2c to 285, and Ryman Healthcare down 1c to 218.
Friday's fall of more than 1 per cent on the New Zealand exchange followed significant declines on Wall St and the small gain so far today came after US stocks eked out a gain overnight Friday after a strong reading of US employment.
- NZPA