NZX share trading rebounds in June, following a dip in May

The volume of New Zealand share trading rebounded in June, following a dip in May which ended a 20-month run of gains.

The number of trades on the NZX rose 15 percent to 105,981 in June from a year earlier, with transactions worth less than $50,000 up 16 percent to 98,577, according to the stock exchange's monthly shareholder metrics. Daily average value traded rose 3.3 percent to $146 million and total value traded advanced 8.8 percent to $2.9 billion. Equity trading gained 16 percent to 103,203 and value traded increased 8.7 percent to $2.8 billion.

The stock market is experiencing a flurry of smaller listings, after it benefited from the government's partial privatisation of MightyRiverPower, Meridian Energy and Genesis Energy. Last month, utility and airports software developer Gentrack Group and online business travel booking company Serko joined the bourse and this month IkeGPS Group, which sells a range of portable measuring devices, Scales Corp, a fruit and vegetables logistic group, and Pushpay, the mobile payment app developer, plan to list.

Issuers raised $66 million across 18 events in June, taking the total so far this year to $815 million. Some $340 million of new capital was listed in June.

The number of equity securities increased 0.6 percent to 166 in June from a year earlier, while debt security numbers dropped 6.6 percent to 85.

In the stock exchange's debt market, the number of trades in June gained 5.3 percent to 2,778 from the year earlier month while the value traded increased 11 percent to $84 million.

The market value of all equity increased 21 percent to $88.4 billion, or 39 percent of GDP while debt market capitalisation slid 2.5 percent to $13.5 billion, or 5.9 percent of GDP.

The benchmark NZX 50 Index increased 16 percent to 5,141 from the year earlier and was recently at 5,151.614.

NZX shares last traded at $1.30 and have gained 4.8 percent so far this year. The stock is rated an average 'sell' based on three analyst recommendations compiled by Reuters, with a median price target of $1.27.

(BusinessDesk)