One category that did perform well was retirement stocks, with Ryman Healthcare and Summerset Group both rising.
“No particular reason for either of those moves, and listed property stocks are as distant from retirement village stocks. In general they’ve been a little bit weak for the last little while and just feel a little heavy today,” Goodson said.
Ryman’s share price lifted 2.49% or 7c to $2.88 after 5.9 million shares changed hands on turnover worth $17m.
While shares in Summerset rose 3.21% or 38c to $12.20 on turnover worth $4.6m.
Mainfreight also rose, lifting 2.05% or $1.35 to $67.25.
Vital Healthcare Property Trust traded in high volume with 4.2 million shares changing hands worth $8.6m, although it was flat at close on $2.04.
Elsewhere Ebos Group continued its slide, dropping 2.22% or 62c to $27.25 after shares worth $14.7m were traded.
Goodson said that since Ebos’ profit warning several months ago its share price had been “one-way traffic”, particularly for offshore investors from his view.
Infratil also had a negative day, falling 1.22% or 14c to $11.32.
In the United States, the Federal Reserve elected to cut interest rates for the third straight time.
Goodson said the new target range set by the Fed was 3.5% to 3.75%, and viewed it as “slightly dovish”.
The Fed is also planning to purchase US$40 billion a month in treasuries, or short-term dated securities.
Goodson said that there had been attention drawn to liquidity conditions getting tight at the short end, with a lot of usage of the repay facility.
“If you’re buying back US$40 billion of treasuries, you’ll be paying cash to the banks and the funds who sell them to you. So in effect, you’ll be injecting that liquidity into the system.”
Goodson also expected the US markets to open weaker at tomorrow’s open after shares in Oracle traded down roughly 12% after hours.
International news
Wall Street stocks rose and the dollar retreated on Wednesday (local time) after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates again as it seeks to shore up a vulnerable US labour market.
The rate cut was expected, but stocks had been under pressure in recent days in part due to speculation that the Fed would combine the interest rate cut with commentary suggesting a pause to further easing in light of still-elevated inflation.
But market watchers read Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s emphasis on the job market during a press conference as a signal that the Fed could cut interest rates again in 2026.
Stocks rose throughout the news conference, with the broad-based S&P 500 finishing up 0.7%. The US dollar retreated against the euro and other major currencies.
– Additional reporting AFP
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
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