New Zealand Manufacturing PMI Surges to 56.5 in September, Extending Expansion

New Zealand's BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index reached 56.5 in September, rising 3.2 points from 53.3 in August to extend its expansion streak to 15 consecutive months. The reading exceeded the long-term historical average of 52.5, driven by broad-based gains across all five sub-indices. Finished stocks climbed to 59.0, deliveries surged to 58.8, and both production and new orders reached 57.0. The employment index also moved back into growth territory at 51.8 from a flat 50.0 in August, providing support for the New Zealand dollar.