MARKET CLOSE: Shares climb as investors seek stability

New Zealand shares rose yesterday as investors embraced the local market's insulation from global turmoil and high yields, with Spark New Zealand, Precinct Properties and Summerset Group rising.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index gained 29.65 points, or 0.4%, to 6,716.58. Within the index, 31 stocks rose, 13 fell and six were unchanged. Turnover was $152.4 million.

The local bourse dropped 2.3% on Friday after the United Kingdom referendum vote to leave the European Union. It recovered on Monday and has continued to rise yesterday, albeit on lighter volumes as investors were happy to sit tight, said Grant Williamson, director at Hamilton Hindin Greene.

"With offshore markets still under pressure overnight, New Zealand is holding relatively firm," Mr Williamson said. "It's an indication we're quite removed from the turmoil, and maybe underpins our attractive dividend yield and investors still chasing those attractive returns. Local investors are holding in there, there's no panic when it comes to the local market – even the foreign investors are relatively happy to hold in, at the moment anyway."

Spark New Zealand was the biggest gainer, up 3.1% to $3.52.

Property companies gained yesterday, with Precinct Properties rising 2.5% to $1.24, Summerset Group Holdings up 1.6% to $4.36, Argosy Property advancing 1.4% to $1.125, and Vital Healthcare Property Trust gaining 1.3% to $2.195.

"Most of our companies don't have too much exposure to the UK or even European markets," Mr Williamson said. "Our big markets are Australasia and the US, we're not too reliant and the uncertainty is probably around the impact the decision might have on world economic growth."

Kiwi Property Group gained 0.4% to $1.45. At the end of the day, it announced it would defer a planned retail bond offer of seven-year fixed rate senior secured bonds due to significant continued market volatility following the UK referendum.

Xero fell 2.4% to $17.10. The virtual accounting software company, which is yet to post a profit, was sold off heavily in Friday's turmoil but bounced on Monday.

"You are going to see volatility among those higher-risk companies – they're not profitable, it's difficult to value them on fundamentals so investors are more likely to buy and sell on a whim," Mr Williamson said.

Meridian Energy dropped 2% to $2.47, Tegel Group fell 1.8% to $1.62 and Sky Network Television dropped 1.7% to $4.58.

Outside the main index, Smiths City Group gained 3.7% to 56c. Chief executive Roy Campbell has increased his holding in the retailer he joined in 2015 buying shares in an off-market purchase. His holding now amounts to 0.07% of the retailer.

(BusinessDesk)