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MARKET CLOSE: NZX 50 rises to record on yield appetite; Spark, Fletcher gain

New Zealand shares rose to a fresh record, paced by Spark New Zealand, Fletcher Building and Contact Energy, as investors continued to be drawn to equities for higher yields. Xero climbed to a month-high, as risk appetite returned to the market. The NZX 50 Index rose 51.349 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5470.339. Within the index, 23 stocks rose, 18 …

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Wellington City approves Hilton hotel, convention centre near waterfront

Wellington City Council has signed off on a 165-bed Hilton Corp hotel and convention centre in a deal with a local developer Mark Dunajtschik it says will give the city low-cost, low-risk access to a facility that will add jobs and boost the capital’s economy. Under the proposal the council will pay an averaged $2.1 million a year to Dunajtschik under a …

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NZ dollar dips below key 77 US cts as greenback touches fresh four-year high

The New Zealand dollar fell below a key support level of 77 US cents overnight, driven by a strengthening US currency on optimism about the outlook for the world’s largest economy. The kiwi touched 76.83 US cents, and was trading at 77.15 cents at 8am in Wellington, from 78.29 cents at 5pm yesterday. The trade-weighted index dropped to 76.51 from …

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While you were sleeping: Equities lift on oil, data

Wall Street rose, pushing the Dow to a record high, as the price of oil rebounded and Republicans won control of the Senate. In afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.53 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 0.47 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index added 0.11 percent. The Dow rose as shares of …

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Dairy slide bottoming out? Phew.

 Dairy product prices were relatively stable in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, with the whole milk powder price index advancing. The GDT average winning price edged higher to US$2,649, up from US$2,646 three weeks ago, though the GDT price index slipped 0.3 percent. Some 45,499 tonnes of product was sold, down from 50,816 tonnes of product three weeks ago. Dairy prices …

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NZ Super Fund ends AMP Capital’s 12-year mandate

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund, which was set up to partially fund the cost of a ballooning baby boomer pension bill, has ended a 12-year mandate with AMP Capital to manage part of its local equity portfolio. The pension fund’s manager, the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, terminated the active equities mandate effective from Oct. 30, it said in a statement. …

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NZ govt’s social housing plans aim to alleviate poverty, PM Key says

The government’s plan to increase the private provision of state-housing is part of a wider goal to alleviate the country’s most vulnerable by putting more cash in their pockets, Prime Minister John Key says. Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference in Wellington, Key told reporters the government expects to provide more details about its social housing programme in the …

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MARKET CLOSE: NZX 50 rises to record on yield hunt; Heartland, Genesis, Spark gain

New Zealand shares rose, pushing the NZX 50 Index to its eighth consecutive record close, after Heartland New Zealand affirmed guidance. Genesis Energy and Infratil gained as investors hunted yield in a low interest rate environment. The NZX 50 Index rose 30.385 points, 0.6 percent, to 5418.219. Within the index, 23 stocks rose, 13 fell and 14 were unchanged. Turnover was $84 million. Heartland climbed 3 percent to …

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NZ Dollar Outlook: Kiwi may decline as greenback rises ahead of jobs report

The New Zealand dollar may decline as the US dollar continues to trend higher leading into a key jobs report, amid a slew of economic indicators and central bank meetings. The kiwi will probably trade between 76 US cents and 79.80 cents this week, according to a BusinessDesk survey of 11 traders, strategists and brokers. Seven predict the kiwi will fall this …

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