New Zealand shares were little changed in thin trade on Monday as holidays in the commercial hub Auckland and neighbouring Australia kept most investors away.
In a lacklustre session, New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 index <.NZ50> ended 3.97 points higher at 9,114.52. The benchmark closed flat on Friday.
"It is a local anniversary day in the country's biggest city Auckland and the big players are on holiday. Also, we have got the Australia Day observed today and the Australians are very large players in our market. The volumes are very light," said Jeremy Sullivan, investment advisor at Christchurch-based advisor firm Hamilton Hindin Greene.
Consumer non-cyclical stocks led the gains, with dairy firm a2 Milk Company Ltd <ATM.NZ> rising 0.8 percent, while EBOS Group Ltd <EBO.NZ> climbed 1.2 percent to its highest since Dec. 4, 2018.
Industrial stocks also advanced, with Auckland International Airport Ltd <AIA.NZ> strengthening 1.1 percent to its highest since Sept 8, 2016.
However, a fall in the healthcare sector kept the benchmark in check. Medical devices maker Fisher and Paykel Healthcare <FPH.NZ> slipped 2.1 percent and was the worst performer.
Telecom services provider Spark New Zealand Ltd <SPK.NZ> declined 0.9 percent.
(Reporting by Anushka Trivedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)
