New Zealand

A2 Milk Co, which markets milk with a protein variant said to have health benefits, says annual earnings were flat and are set to triple in 2016 with sales expected to rise faster than forecast. Separately, the company has told its suitors to try again after an initial offer wasn’t compelling and drew out rival bidders. Earnings before interest, tax, …

Sharemarket analysts are expecting a slew of profit upgrades and new commentary from stock exchange-listed exporters in the upcoming earnings season following the recent slump in the value of the New Zealand dollar, says Andrew Bascand, the managing director of Wellington-based funds manager Harbour Asset Management. Among likely beneficiaries are businesses such as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Nuplex Industries, Xero …

The National Party has lost more than 10 percent of its support in two months, as measured by the New Zealand arm of Australian pollster Roy Morgan, to run neck and neck at 45 percent support, with its coalition partners, against a combination of the Labour and Green parties for the first time since five months before last September’s general election. Labour and the Greens …

Andrew Robinson, a struck off financial adviser and former director of Strategic Planning Group, has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to fraud charges earlier this year. Robinson was sentenced in the High Court in Auckland today, having pleaded guilty to five charges of theft by a person in a special relationship and one charge of dishonestly using …

Dairy product prices sank in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, paced by cheddar and whole milk powder, reflecting a sombre outlook. The GDT average winning prices sank 10.7 percent to US$2,082, down from US$2,276 at the previous auction two weeks ago. It was the lowest level since July 2009. Some 31,691 tonnes of product was sold, down from 33,200 tonnes of …

MightyRiverPower’s Metrix metering business has walked away from a deal with Infratil-controlled Trustpower that would have supplied the power company’s 242,000 electricity customers with smart meters. The Auckland-based company decided not to proceed with the contract after reviewing the systems development to date and ongoing requirements, it said in a statement. The contract was expected to start this year, before scaling …

The New Zealand dollar touched a fresh five-year low after dairy prices fell to a six-year low in the GlobalDairyTrade auction overnight, paced by whole milk powder, the nation’s key export commodity. The kiwi touched 67.27 US cents and was trading at 67.41 cents at 8am in Wellington, from 67.95 cents at 5pm yesterday. The trade-weighted index dropped to 70.73 from …

Meridian Energy and Rio Tinto-controlled New Zealand Aluminium Smelters have extended their electricity agreement for another month, giving the Tiwai Point smelter owner a little more time to sort out its electricity needs. Wellington-based Meridian agreed with NZAS last night to extend the date the smelter owner can terminate their agreement until Aug. 3, while keeping all other terms unchanged, …

Veteran corporate raider Ron Brierley is bringing his latest investment vehicle, Mercantile Investment, to the NZX, with a listing scheduled for next week. The Sydney-based investment firm has been approved by stock market operator NZX for a compliance listing on July 6, it said in a statement to the ASX yesterday. The move makes it easier for New Zealand investors …

New Zealand’s largest primary sector businesses, including meat companies Silver Fern Farms and Alliance Group, seafood groups Sanford and Sealord, and milk processors Fonterra Cooperative Group and Miraka, are on a bootcamp in the US this week to work together on ways to add value to the country’s primary goods exports. The group of 50, which includes chief executives of …