Some 379 buildings have been identified around New Zealand as being built in a similar engineering “genre” to the CTV Building, whose collapse in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake claimed 115 of the 183 lives lost. At a press conference for the release of Volumes Five to Seven of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Canterbury …

Wall Street moved higher amid promising data on China’s economy, fuelling hopes that the world’s second-largest economy is gathering steam again. China offered better-than-expected data on both industrial output and retail sales, welcomed by a market that is on tenterhooks about US budget talks aimed at avoiding the US$600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to kick in …

The median house price in New Zealand set a new record for a second straight month, reaching $383,250 in the strongest sales volume in five years. apple antivirus software Sales rose 24 percent to 7,454 in November from a year earlier and were 12.3 percent up on October, according to the Real Estate Institute. The median price climbed 4.3 percent …

New Zealand shares fell as some investors sold shares in one of the world’s best performing equity markets this year. Contact Energy and Chorus paced the decline. The NZX 50 Index fell 10.75 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4030.77. Within the index, 26 stocks fell, 13 rose and 11 were unchanged. Turnover was about $126 million. So far this year …

The New Zealand dollar gained after Fonterra Cooperative Group lifted its forecast payout to farmers next year on rising dairy prices, and after Chinese manufacturing figures on the weekend gave investors heart about the strength of the world’s second-biggest economy. The kiwi rose to 83.32 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 83.12 cents at 8.30am and 83.24 cents on …

Telecom Corp, which carved out its network unit last year to shed regulatory burdens, wants to boost usage of its mobile roaming services with a new flat fee structure for its post-paid customers. The Auckland-based company wants to grow its revenue over time by getting mobile customers to use their voice and data services when travelling abroad, chief executive Simon …

he New Zealand dollar may gain this week though that would likely require further new measures from the US Federal Reserve and strategists are divided on whether it would take such a step without the fiscal cliff being resolved. The kiwi dollar recently traded at 83.32 US cents, edging up from 83.24 cents in New York on Friday after Fonterra …

Fonterra Cooperative Group, which raised $525 million through a unit trust for external investors last month, has hiked its forecast payment to farmers and expects to see more gains in global dairy prices next year. The dairy cooperative increased its forecast farmgate milk price by 25 cents to $5.50 per kilogram of milksolids and held the expected dividend payment of …

Warehouse Group, the country’s biggest listed retailer, bought consumer electronics and appliance chain Noel Leeming Group for $65 million from Gresham Private Equity. The Auckland-based retailer’s acquisition will be completed today and is expected to add to the company’s earnings immediately, contributing between $4 million to $6 million to earnings before interest and tax in the six months ended Jan. …

A consortium of Wellington business brahmans, including former top executives at Brierley Investments, has taken a majority share in fast-growing syrups maker Shott Beverages, with the intention of expanding its production and export sales. The investing group, Beverage Holdings Ltd, is led by former Brierley executive Andrew Meehan and comprises the same team as bought the pet food brand, Masterpet, …