Market close: Uncertainty creeps back into NZ sharemarket as it ends day lower

Air New Zealand gained 1c to 77.5c after completing a $1 billion turnaround in net profit for the year ending June. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Uncertainty crept back into the New Zealand sharemarket, down more than half a per cent today, despite solid financial results from high-flying Air New Zealand and Auckland International Airport.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index dipped in the early afternoon and closed at 11,502.13, declining 69.8 points or 0.6 per cent.

There were 68 gainers and 66 decliners on the main board, with 28.33 million shares worth $96.31 million changing hands.

Jeremy Sullivan, investment adviser with Hamilton Hindin Greene, said the general election was coming around quickly and business confidence was low.

“The short-term uncertainty was not helping a choppy market even though we’ve had some reasonably robust results, such as Ebos and Auckland Airport. But investors are sitting on their hands until the election is out of the way,” he said.

Air New Zealand gained 1c to 77.5c after completing a $1 billion turnaround in net profit for the year ending June. Profit was $412m compared with a loss of $591m in the previous year, and revenue climbed 134.7 per cent to $6.45b. Air NZ is paying a special dividend of 6c a share on September 21.

The national airline told the market it recorded the second-highest gross earnings of $585m, and there was almost $1b reduction in net debt. Customer demand remained strong in the first half of the 2024 financial year but because of the economic uncertainty, Air NZ was not providing full-year guidance.

Auckland International Airport, down 15c or 1.83 per cent to $8.03, doubled its annual revenue to $625.9m and net profit was down 77 per cent to $43.2m, while operating earnings (ebitdafi) was up 175 per cent to $397.1m. The airport is paying a final dividend of 4.7c a share on October 6.

Total number of passengers during the year increased 183 per cent to 15.9m, with 8.1 million domestic and 7.8 million international. Auckland Airport provided 2024 guidance of $260m-$280m underlying profit, and capital expenditure of $1b-$1.4b as it starts its most significant upgrade in history.

Sullivan said Auckland Airport beat its own underlying earnings guidance by $48m - $148m instead of $100m - but it has a large amount of capital expenditure and this does create uncertainty. “They have a clear roadmap of what they want to do.”

The energy sector was weaker. Genesis was down 9c or 3.47 per cent to $2.50 after reporting an 11.8 per cent fall in annual net profit of $195.7m on revenue of $2.374b, down 16.5 per cent, mainly because of record low thermal generation.

The favourable hydro conditions led to 65 per cent of Genesis’ generation coming from renewable sources, leading to a 45 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with the previous year. Genesis is paying a final dividend of 8.8c a share on October 6.

Mercury fell 19.5c or 3.02 per cent to $6.255; Meridian declined 12.5c or 2.31 per cent to $5.29; and Contact was down 14c to $8.25.

Ebos Group was down 21c to $35.89 after its strong rally the day before. Brokers have updated Ebos’ target share price to between $38 and $42.

On losing the Australian Chemist Warehouse supply contract, worth $2b in revenue, next year, Ebos said: “We always recognised the contract renewal was a risk and we are confident in the group’s alternative growth strategies that are well established and diverse.”

Fletcher Building was down 7c to $4.83; Mainfreight shed 72c to $65.79; Winton Land declined 5c or 2 per cent to $2.45; Turners Automotive decreased 6c to $3.65; Michael Hill was down 2c or 2.04 per cent to 96c; and Investore gave up 5c or 3.65 per cent to $1.32.

Private Land and Property was down 1.6c to $1.34 after reducing the value of its avocado orchards by $883,000. PGG Wrightson declined 7c to $3.98, and Ventia Services was down 7c or 2.3 per cent to $2.98.

Sky TV, now with 1.015 million customers, was up 3c to $2.55 after reporting revenue of $754.1m, up 2.4 per cent, and an 18.3 per cent reduction in net profit to $50.75m for the year ending June.

The television network is paying a dividend of 9c a share on September 22 and provided 2024 guidance of $765m-$795m revenue, operating earnings (ebitda) $150m-$165m, $45m-$55m net profit, and capital expenditure of $75m-$90m.

SkyCity gained 8c or 3.56 per cent to $2.33; Restaurant Brands collected 15c or 3.36 per cent to $4.62; Serko was up 11c or 2.96 per cent to $3.83; and BlackPearl Group improved 3c or 5.66 per cent to 56c.

Sanford, up 4c to $4.13, told the market that pricing for wildcatch, salmon and mussels remained strong but sales volumes were down for the three months ending June – with mussel sales falling 20 per cent.

Summerset Group was up 2c to $9.91 after earlier reporting a 5.7 per cent increase in first-half underlying profit to $87.15m and a strong rise in development margin to 33.5 per cent, from 28.1 per cent.

Channel Infrastructure was down 3c or 1.89 per cent to $1.56 after earlier reporting a 10 per cent increase in revenue to $64.42m and net profit of $20.1m for the six months ending June. It is paying an interim dividend of 4.2c a share on September 20.