Whilst New Zealand’s economic history is similar to Australia as it stemmed from an agricultural focus with the trading of wool to Europe in the mid 18th century, that’s where the similarities end. During the 1960’s to 1980’s New Zealand lagged behind Australia in the development of their financial markets, some commentators characterized the market at the time as being somewhat similar to a number of developing economies in South America.

However over the last 20 years, New Zealand has been tirelessly working towards boosting their capital market, improving investor confidence, and moving towards developing derivatives markets in commodities and energy by increasing regulation, implementing a computerized trading system and opening the market up to alternative trading platforms. They’ve also taken a more active role in regional discussions regarding the securities market to increase their credibility as a global market player whilst attracting foreign investment.