New Zealand shares joined an Asia-wide rally on signs that China-US trade relations may be thawing, while Trade Me hit a record on news the board will back a private equity takeover.

New Zealand shares rose, led by Contact Energy and Meridian Energy as heightened uncertainty in global markets bolsters the attraction of defensive stocks offering stable dividends.

New Zealand shares fell to a five-week low as rising concerns about global growth due to heightened US-China trade tensions extended into Asian markets. Export-focused A2 Milk dropped.

New Zealand shares rose as markets across Asia rallied on speculation the US Federal Reserve will keep interest rates on hold next year, which would maintain the yield attraction of stocks over bonds. Spark New Zealand was up in heavy trading.

New Zealand shares fell, joining a sell-off across Asia, as the arrest of a Huawei executive reignited fears about US-China trade tensions. Chinese-focused exporter A2 Milk declined.

New Zealand shares fell for a second day as doubts about the ceasefire in the US-China trade stoush weighed on global markets, hitting growth stocks and exporters such as Gentrack Group and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

New Zealand shares snapped five days of gains as optimism over the cooling of US-China tensions abated. Spark New Zealand declined as new accounting standards prompted it to adopt new earnings measures.

New Zealand shares were led higher by exporter A2 Milk as cooling trade tensions between China and the US allayed fears of slowing global growth and boosted stock markets across Asia.

New Zealand shares rose for a fourth day in heavier-than-usual trading as major institutional investors reallocated their portfolios, pushing up heavyweight stocks including Spark New Zealand and Meridian Energy.

Economist Bevan Graham has been appointed managing director of AMP Capital New Zealand, replacing Grant Hassell who will head up the group's global fixed income.

New Zealand shares joined a global rally after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell indicated an early pause to higher interest rates, stoking demand for growth stocks such as Pushpay Holdings.

New Zealand shares joined an Asia-wide rally, led higher by export-focused growth stocks Pushpay Holdings and A2 Milk, two of the bourse's most volatile stocks.

New Zealand shares followed Wall Street higher as global events remain top of mind for investors, underpinning growth stock A2 Milk Co and blue-chip firms such as Spark New Zealand and Fletcher Building.

New Zealand shares fell in light trading as blue-chip stocks including A2 Milk Co, Ryman Healthcare and Fletcher Building followed Australia lower. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare gained after reporting increased earnings.

New Zealand shares snapped a six-day decline as a revival in global investor optimism boosted beat-up growth stocks such as Tourism Holdings, A2 Milk and Pushpay Holdings. Fletcher Building extended its decline.

New Zealand shares fell as Fletcher Building dropped to a 14-year low, adding to yesterday's rout after its profit warning. Trade Me soared to a record on a potential takeover.