New Zealand shares rose on Friday amid positive results from ANZ's survey on consumers and business confidence.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 0.6% or 76.63 points to close at 13,333.40.

The ANZ New Zealand Business Outlook rose to a net 73.6 in December, up from 67.1 in November, reaching its highest level in 30 years, while expected own activity rose to 60.9 from 53.1.

Consumer confidence in New Zealand has hit its highest level in four years amid a surge in the sales of household items as inflationary expectations eased, ANZ Research said.

Meanwhile, Asian shares also followed a Thursday Wall Street rally that led to the S&P 500 rising 0.8%, the Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.4% and the Dow Jones ending 0.1% higher.

In domestic news, New Zealand's goods exports, led by dairy products, outpaced imports in November, narrowing the trade deficit to NZ$163 million, Stats NZ said.

Also, credit card spending in New Zealand increased by 1.6% month on month to NZ$4.73 billion in November, matching the increase recorded in October, while credit card balances rose 0.5% to NZ$6.3 billion in November, data from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand showed.

Further, ANZ Research lowered its farmgate milk price forecast to NZ$8.90 per kilogram of milk solids for the 2025 to 2026 season, from NZ$9.65 per kilogram of milk solids previously.

Meanwhile, the rise in business confidence in New Zealand is now "encouragingly" being accompanied by an improvement in firms' actual performance, said Wespac in a report on Friday.

In corporate news, Kiwi Property Group (NZE:KPG) completed the NZ$118.9 million sale of The Plaza on Dec. 12, bolstering its balance sheet and reducing pro-forma gearing to over 36% based on September figures.

Port of Tauranga (NZE:POT) signed an agreement with UZMAR Shipyards in Tüukey to build a 32-meter hybrid rotortug boat.