On Wednesday morning, the NZX 50 climbed 14 points, or 0.1%, reaching 13,678. This comes after recording its highest level since late November during the previous session, influenced by a positive session on Wall Street fueled by expectations of multiple interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Market optimism is further bolstered by confidence that the capture of Venezuelan President Maduro is unlikely to disrupt geopolitical conditions in the long run. Sentiment was also uplifted by a statement from the People's Bank of China, announcing plans to reduce the reserve requirement ratio and interest rates in 2026. The index saw significant boosts from the energy, technology, and healthcare sectors. Market participants are also keenly awaiting the release of U.S. employment data to inform the Fed's monetary policy decisions, along with upcoming consumer and producer price figures from China, which will provide insight into the economic outlook of China, New Zealand's primary trading partner. Early gainers included Gentrack Group with a 1.3% increase, Brisco Group at 1.0%, Westpac Banking Corp rising by 0.8%, ANZ Group with a 0.6% uptick, and Fisher & Paykel, which saw a 0.3% increase.