The NZX 50 advanced 139 points, or 1.0%, to close at 13,623 on Wednesday, ending four consecutive sessions of losses and moving away from its lowest level since June 24, reached a day earlier. Investors were positioning ahead of New Zealand’s second-quarter GDP release on Thursday, with annual growth expected to accelerate to 2.9% while quarterly growth eases to 0.1%. Consumer confidence also recovered from a three-year low but remained pessimistic. Gains were led by financial, healthcare and utilities stocks, while expectations of a Federal Reserve interest-rate hike, higher oil prices and a weak Wall Street session capped sentiment. Ventia Services, Infratil and Brisco were among the strongest performers.