New Zealand expects to benefit from commitments secured at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, from the world’s 20 biggest economies, to lift economic growth by an extra 2.1 percent by 2018.  In a communique released at the end of the weekend summit in Brisbane, the G20 group, made up of countries which represent 85 percent of global economic activity and 75 …

 There is broad global support for moves to curb international tax avoidance, New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English said on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane.  Cracking down on tax avoidance is one of the key agenda items at this weekend’s G20 Summit, where New Zealand is an invited guest. The G20 countries make up 85 percent of global economic activity …

John Key said New Zealand would use the opportunity at the G20 to talk to some of the leaders he hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to at recent APEC or East Asian Summit gatherings.  He singled out Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz as New Zealand seeks to progress the Gulf states free trade agreement and the European Commission …

New Zealand inflation, which unexpectedly fell to the bottom of the Reserve Bank’s target band in the third quarter, is likely to pick up again as pressures emerge in the labour market, Finance Minister Bill English said.  Economists have pushed out their expectations for New Zealand interest rate hikes after a report last month showed consumer prices rose at an annual rate of …

New Zealand and South Korea have concluded a free-trade agreement that’s expected to cut into export tariffs in the nation’s sixth-largest export market that currently run to about $230 million a year.  The deal, which was announced on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane, will initially eliminate tariffs on 48 percent of current New Zealand exports, with duties largely eliminated …

New Zealand shares fell, snapping four days of gains, led by Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy and MightyRiverPower as investors looked to crystalise gains in the energy companies. Kiwi Income Property Trust, DNZ Property Fund and Goodman Property Trust gained after posting earnings. The NZX 50 Index fell 2.904 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5487.887. Within the index stocks were mixed as 15 stocks fell, 24 rose …

Fonterra Cooperative Group  had to set the benchmark for a competitive farmgate milk price, former director Jim van der Poel told the diary exporter’s annual meeting in his exit speech. His comments came after shareholders raised concerns over the reduced forecast milk payout for the 2015 season. The forecast farmgate milk price it pays farmers was slashed in September from …

The New Zealand dollar gained after the Reserve Bank’s report on the strength of the nation’s financial system reminded the market that the central bank is still in a tightening cycle, and will continue to lift interest rates when necessary. The kiwi rose to 78.24 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 78.09 cents at 8am and 77.48 cents yesterday. The …

The New Zealand dollar soared to the highest in more than seven years against the yen on reports Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will call a snap election, seeking a mandate for further economic reforms including an increase in sales tax. The kiwi touched 90.33 yen, its highest level since October 2007, and was trading at 90.21 yen at 8am in Wellington, from 89.06 …

Wall Street slipped, after both the Dow and the S&P 500 climbed to fresh record highs earlier in the session, as investors weighed whether the outlook for corporate earnings justified pushing equities higher still. In afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.08 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index inched 0.04 percent lower. The …