The New Zealand sharemarket was down 6 points to 2734 at the close of trade on Tuesday.
Turnover was $79 million, and top stocks were mixed. Telecom rose 12 cents to $2.58 and Fletcher Building gained 6c to $6.33, but Contact Energy slid 14c to $5.70.
The Australian share market closed in positive territory, buoyed by Rio Tinto after the global miner reached a better than expected iron ore price deal with Japan.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 50.5 points, or 1.35%, at 3,788.4, while the broader All Ordinaries index found 46.3 points, or 1.24% to 3,781.6.
Japanese shares were mixed, as a stronger yen weighed on exporters and investors waited for fresh leads from Wall Street when it reopens after a long weekend.
The benchmark Nikkei-225 index fell 36.19 points, or 0.39%, to 9,310.81. The broader Topix index of all first section shares rose 0.77 points, or 0.09%, to 883.77.
The market remained wary about North Korea's announcement on Monday that it had carried out an underground nuclear test, dealers said.
