Market close: Markets close higher on overseas lead

Wednesday 30th July 2008

The sharemarket surged upwards today with the NZSE50 up 1.62% to end the day at 3,288, taking the lead from offshore markets.

Among the top stocks, Telecom jumped 2.5%, after announcing that it was looking at moving more of its call centre functions to the Philippines.

Contact Energy advanced 1.8% and Fletcher Building gained 2.4%.

In the retail space, Pumpkin Patch blazed ahead 4.1%, Hallenstein Glasson added 1.4% while The Warehouse Group dipped 1.6% and Michael Hill closed flat.

A positive day among other shares, with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare soaring 5.0%, Auckland International Airport surged 3.2%, Freightways gained 6.0%, Nuplex advanced 2.8% and Steel & Tube Holdings rose 1.8%. Sky City slipped 0.3%.

Abano Healthcare gained 2.42% after announcing a 56% gain in full-year profit on acquisitions and revenue from its health clinics. Richina Pacific shares dropped over 4% upon announcing it has dropped plans to pay a 1.5 cents-a-share dividend, citing a potential acquisition and the global economic dowturn.

The banks clawed back some ground, with ANZ Bank advancing 2.7% and Westpac surging 3.6%.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 89.3 points, or 1.84%, to 4936.7, following a rally from the US overnight and an upbeat financial sector.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 266.48 points, or 2.39%, to 11,397.56 and the Standard & Poor's 500 broad-market index added 28.83 points to 1,263.20.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite advanced 55.41 points to 2,319.62.

NZ Top 50	3,287.758	+52.256 (+1.62%)
ASX 200	4,936.700	+89.300 (+1.84%)
Dow	11,397.56	+266.48 (+2.39%)
Nasdaq	2,319.62	+55.40 (+2.45%)
FTSE 100	5,319.20	+6.60 (+0.12%)

NZX TOP 50
As at: 30/07/2008 5:34pm
CODE	LAST	+/-
AIA	1.94	+0.06
AIR	1.27	+0.04
AMP	8.43	+0.08
ANZ	20.70	+0.55
APN	4.20	0.00
APT	1.09	-0.02
CAV	2.35	0.00
CEN	8.35	+0.15
EBO	4.50	-0.02
FBU	6.40	+0.15
FPA	1.94	-0.01
FPH	2.73	+0.13
FRE	3.18	+0.18
GFF	1.72	+0.04
GMT	1.17	+0.04
GPG	1.35	+0.02
HLG	2.84	+0.04
IFT	2.22	-0.02
IMP	1.11	0.00
ING	0.82	0.00
KIP	1.12	-0.01
LNN	11.12	+0.19
MFT	6.73	+0.23
MHI	0.80	0.00
MVN	1.60	0.00
NPX	5.50	+0.15
NZO	1.53	0.00
NZR	6.70	+0.10
NZS	1.78	-0.02
NZX	7.50	0.00
PFI	1.16	-0.03
PGW	2.65	+0.01
POT	6.55	+0.05
PPL	1.51	+0.06
PRC	1.97	0.00
RAK	2.65	-0.03
RYM	1.63	0.00
SAN	5.35	+0.02
SKC	3.36	-0.01
SKL	0.88	+0.02
SKT	4.50	-0.05
STU	2.90	+0.05
TEL	3.68	+0.09
THL	1.40	-0.08
TLS	5.76	+0.11
TPW	7.85	+0.15
TWR	2.17	+0.04
VCT	2.17	+0.04
WBC	26.80	+0.93
WHS	3.82	-0.06

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