The NZX 50 Index (NZ50) is the main stock market index in New Zealand. It comprises the 50 biggest stocks by free-float market capitalisation trading on the New Zealand Stock Market (NZSX). The calculation of the free-float capitalisation excludes blocks of shares greater than 20% and blocks between 5% and 20% that are considered strategic.
The index was introduced as the NZSX 50 Index in March 2003 and replaced the NZSE 40 Index as the headline index. It was renamed the NZX 50 Index in late 2005. The NZSE 40 Capital Index replaced the Barclays index in 1992, although the Barclays index is still compiled by the NZX but not made widely available.
