Market close: Travel and tourism stocks get boost from border news

Air New Zealand was up 5c or 3.31 per cent to $1.56. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The New Zealand sharemarket turned a mixed trading day into its fourth successive gain with a late surge as the Government laid down its plan to welcome back visitors and reconnect the country with the world.

The S&P/NZX 50 had a strong morning, reaching a high of 12,352.29. Then, it didn't quite know how to react to the Government's announcement and bounced between positive and negative territory before rising sharply in the last 45 minutes, including the matching session.

Finally, the index closed at 12,335.32, up 45.68 points or 0.37 per cent after reaching an intraday low of 12,269.27, and the index has now risen just over 4 per cent this week.

There were 71 gainers and 64 decliners over the whole market on volume of 31.25 million share transactions worth $144.07 million.

Fully vaccinated Kiwis will be able to return home from Australia from February 28 and from other countries from March 14 without going through managed isolation quarantine.

But other visitors and business travellers from Australia and other visa-free countries will have to wait no later than July.

"I guess the Aussies can come across for the ski season in Queenstown, but it will still be a while before the tourists return and this continues to weigh on the hospitality-type businesses," said Greg Main, Jarden Wealth Management adviser.

"The local market was a bit at sixes and sevens and it was a mixed trading day. Some of the solid businesses, particularly in the energy sector, were up but others were down," said Main. "The market is waiting for the reporting season and seeing the commentary from the companies."

Stocks that will benefit from the border reopening did increase. Tourism Holdings rose 12c or 4.41 per cent to $2.84; Air New Zealand was up 5c or 3.31 per cent to $1.56; SkyCity Entertainment gained 6c or 2.11 per cent to $2.90; and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand increased 6c or 2.69 per cent to $2.29.

Cinema software management firm Vista Group was down 5c or 2.27 per cent to $2.15.

Online travel provider Serko picked the day of the Government announcement to tell the market it was downgrading its financial forecast. Serko fell 16c or 3.02 per cent to $5.14 after reducing its revenue guidance for the year ending March to $18m-$20.5m, from $21m-$25m.

Serko, which has fallen from a high of $8.32, has experienced ongoing volatility with business travel bookings because of the spread of Omicron. Volumes were lower than anticipated in January.

Skellerup Holdings climbed 29c or 4.79per cent to $6.35 after upgrading its half-year net profit forecast to $23m, a rise of 18 per cent compared with the previous corresponding period.

Skellerup had earlier estimated an increase of more than 10 per cent for the six months ending December, and it told the market that strong demand was sustained through the period particularly for potable water, marine, roofing and construction products.

Mainfreight was down 73c to $89.26; Chorus fell 11.5c to $6.955; a2 Milk shed 10c to $5.61; and EBOS Group decreased 35c to $39.25.

Mercury Energy rose 29c or 5.17 per cent to $5.90; Meridian gained 6c to $4.66; Genesis was up 6c or 2.11 per cent to $2.91; Freightways increased 17c to $12.45; and Napier Port collected 7c or 2.33 per cent to $3.07.

Among the property companies, Goodman Property Trust rose 6c or 2.39 per cent to $2.57; Kiwi Property was up 2.5c or 2.18 per cent to $1.17; and Investore was down 3c to $1.82.

Other gainers were Sky Network Television, up 5c or 2.01 per cent to $2.54; Accordant Group increasing 5c or 2.78 per cent to $1.85; Bremworth picking up 3c or 5.08 per cent to 62c; Steel & Tube rising 4c or 2.53 per cent to $1.62; and Pacific Edge, under selling pressure lately, bouncing back 3c or 2.78 per cent to $1.11.

Investment funds Barramundi was up 4c or 4.76 per cent to 88c; Kingfish increased 5c or 2.86 per cent to $1.80; and Marlin was up 4c or 2.99 per cent to $1.38.

NZME fell 8c or 6.02 per cent to $1.25; AFT Pharmaceuticals was down 10c or 2.35 per cent to $4.15; Sanford declined 8c to $4.61; Harmoney decreased 4c or 2.2 per cent to $1.78; Ventia Services Group shed 7c or 2.98 per cent to $2.28; and EROAD was down 13c or 2.81 per cent to $4.50.

Good Spirits Hospitality gained 0.007c or 11.11 per cent to 7c, and Chatham Rock Phosphate increased 0.008c or 5 per cent to 16.8c.