NZ shares join global rally on US-China trade optmism; SkyCity falls

The S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.6 percent to 9,333.38. Within the index, 36 stocks gained, 11 fell, and three were unchanged. Turnover was $180.2 million.

Stocks across Asia largely followed Wall Street higher. with South Korea's Kospi 200 index up 0.4 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gaining 1.1 percent and Singapore's Straits Times index advancing 1.2 percent. Investor sentiment was buoyed by the prospect of US policymakers avoiding another Federal government shutdown, and on optimism that US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will cut through some of the more intractable issues between the US and China.

"People are more optimistic on the trade front and US President Donald Trump has back-pedalled a bit on his wall," said Greg Smith, head of research at Fat Prophets.

Rental RV operator Tourism Holdings led the market higher, up 3.1 percent at $4.69 on a smaller-than-average volume of 92,000. Transport fuels firm Z Energy gained 2.3 percent to $6.14 on a lighter volume than usual of 655,000.