The New Zealand sharemarket had its second positive day on the trot on Thursday as shares were buoyed by favourable corporate earnings and speculation about a Fletcher buyout à la française.

The New Zealand sharemarket calmed down and made a small gain, as blue-chip stock Ebos Group provided normal service with a solid first-half financial result.

A dogged New Zealand sharemarket, again falling more than half a percent, continued to show no mercy on soft earnings updates, with KMD Brands (formerly Kathmandu) hitting an all-time low.

Global marketer a2 Milk surged, and leading retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare tumbled on contrasting earnings updates as the company reporting season heated up.

The New Zealand sharemarket bounced back with a gain of more than half a per cent, helped by a recovery in Fletcher Building and a sharp rise from utilities investor Infratil.

The New Zealand sharemarket doesn’t like surprises, and it got another one with the resignation of long-time Skellerup Holdings chief executive David Mair.

Fletcher Building’s $120 million half-year loss and executive resignations sent the New Zealand sharemarket into a spin, posting a fall of more than a half percent.

The New Zealand sharemarket had a topsy-turvy day after Vulcan Steel kicked off the latest reporting season with an expected sharp fall in earnings.

It was confession day on the New Zealand sharemarket with earnings revisions, a civil legal proceeding and further uncertainty surrounding Fletcher Building, all adding to a near 1% fall.

The New Zealand sharemarket was rattled by the suggestion from ANZ that the Reserve Bank of NZ could still hike the official cash rate twice this year.

The New Zealand sharemarket went against offshore trends and fell more than a half percent, dragged down by a clump of blue-chip stocks.

New Zealand’s sharemarket rose with investors inspired by two sets of economic data showing a resilient labour market and fast-improving dairy prices.

Fletcher Building slumped nearly 7% after a further $165 million blowout on the New Zealand International Convention Centre, but the sharemarket showed resilience by finishing flat. 

Heavyweight Fisher & Paykel Healthcare had a strong rise, leading the New Zealand sharemarket to its highest level in nearly six months.

Manuka honey producer Comvita plunged to a 12-year low on the New Zealand sharemarket with an earnings downgrade, and SkyCity Entertainment was on the rise after achieving a regulatory settlement.

Australian inflation fell more than expected, and its sharemarket hit an all-time high. But the New Zealand bourse ignored all that action and declined nearly half a%.