New Zealand: Shares close down, weighed by slumping oil prices

[WELLINGTON] New Zealand shares ended lower on Tuesday, as a renewed slump in oil prices weighed on investor sentiment across Asia.

Crude futures extended falls on Tuesday to retest the US$30 a barrel level, as fresh worries about oversupply from top producers Saudi Arabia and Iraq spooked the market.

The New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 33 points or 0.5 per cent to 6.142.16. The S&P/ASX 200 index was closed for Australia day.

REUTERS