NZ share trading volume rises in April while value of trade falls

Thursday 3rd May 2018

New Zealand share trading continued to push higher in April while values eased as global market volatility continued.

Total cash market trading on the NZX rose 95.9 percent to 241,716 in April from the same month a year earlier, the stock exchange operator's monthly shareholder metrics show. Total value traded, however, fell 22.5 percent to $2.6 billion and there was a 30.7 percent slide in daily average trades to $136 million.

Year-to-date the total number of trades is up 80.8 percent to 982,165 but the total value traded is down 3.9 percent to $11.9 billion.

Of total trading, the bulk is in equity transactions that rose 98 percent to 238,809 while the value fell 22.9 percent to $2.4 billion. Debt trading rose 5.0 percent to 2,907 while the value fell 15.4 percent to $149 million.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index ended April at 8,444 up 14.4 percent on the year while the market capitalisation of NZX's equities rose 8.1 percent to $129.6 billion, or 45.7 percent of gross domestic product. The debt market's value fell 1.6 percent to $26.2 billion, or 9.3 percent of GDP.

The number of listed securities fell 3 percent in April to 295, with stocks on the main board down 5.5 percent to 155, NZAX listings falling 5.9 percent to 16, NXT issuers unchanged at four and NZDX issuers up 7 percent at 46.

Some $1.3 billion of secondary capital was raised in April across 18 events, of which around half was equity by primary issuers.

Derivatives trading was mixed in the period, with a 1.8 percent fall in futures lots to 22,955 and a 45.8 percent lift in options to 3,500. Open interest fell 23.9 percent to 39,554.

NZX's funds management division continued to expand, with total SuperLife funds under management up 13.3 percent to $2 billion and total Smartshares funds up 22 percent to $2.33 billion. Funds under administration in NZX's wealth technology shrank 13.7 percent to $1.1 billion.

New Zealand agri data subscriptions rose 41.6 percent to 3,702 while Australian data products increased 1.6 percent to 1,507. Paid ad page equivalents at the Farmers Weekly publication, which NZX has sold, rose 21.9 percent to 120 while year-to-date ad page equivalents were up 6.8 percent to 423.

(BusinessDesk)

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