Chorus, the telecommunications network operator spun out of Telecom in 2011, has put up an alternative proposal to the Commerce Commission on how its physical copper lines should be regulated in a bid to fast-track the process. The Wellington-based company says the regulator should use the existing network configuration as a hypothetical equivalent operator to determine the value of assets …

Minutes from the latest US Federal Reserve meeting and corporate earnings from companies including Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart will be scrutinised for clues to justify the newfound confidence about the US economic outlook. In the past five days, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 2.3 percent, as did the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 2.9 …

The New Zealand dollar touched a month-high after a weaker economic report in the US dented demand for the greenback. The kiwi touched a high of 83.85 US cents on Friday night, and was trading at 83.77 cents at 8am in Wellington from 83.64 cents at the New York close and 83.39 cents in Wellington Friday. The trade-weighted index advanced …

New Zealand property sales fell 4.3 percent in January from a year earlier while the median price slipped from the record high set in December, which may reflect high loan-to-value lending restrictions and seasonal factors, the Real Estate Institute says,. There were 4,719 dwellings sold nationally in January, down from the same month last year and a 17 percent drop …

Food prices rose 0.9 percent in the year to January, spurred by an 8.8 percent rise in the price of milk, 20 percent rise in butter prices, and a 4 percent increase for cheese, although dairy products saw price falls in the month of January. Statistics New Zealand data released this morning shows food prices rose 1.2 percent last month, …

Bob Ingham, former owner of Australia’s biggest poultry producer Inghams Enterprises, achieved a record profit from his New Zealand operations in 2013, the final year before private equity firm TPG acquired the Australasian business. Inghams Enterprises (NZ) lifted net profit by 19 percent to $27.2 million in the 12 months ended June 30, according to the annual report filed with …

Michael Hill International, the jewellery chain that bears the name of its founder, posted first-half earnings that met its guidance of last month after lifting sales while investing in a trial of bridal products at its North American outlets. Earnings before interest and tax was A$29.7 million in the six months ended Dec. 31, from A$28.6 million a year earlier, …

eartland New Zealand, whose shares reached a post-listing high this week, was halted from trading pending an announcement to the stock exchange. The stock jumped to 92 cents on Wednesday, closing at 89 cents yesterday. In the past 12 months the shares have gained 23 percent, compared to the NZX 50 Index rise of 15 percent in the same period. …

The New Zealand dollar rose as weaker US retail sales and concerns about disruption to the economy from winter storms weighed on the greenback. The kiwi rose to 83.52 US cents at 8am in Wellington from 83.11 cents at 5pm yesterday. The trade-weighted index advanced to 78.50 from 78.28 yesterday. The US dollar weakened after a report showed retail sales …

Wall Street moved higher, as a surprise deal for Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable offset a drop in Cisco shares and weaker-than-expected US retail sales and weekly jobless claims. Shares of Time Warner Cable soared, last up 9.3 percent, after Comcast agreed to buy the cable company. Shares of Comcast were last 4 percent weaker. “This leaves Comcast as …