The New Zealand dollar fell to a two-month low as weaker-than-expected Australian data sapped already strained investors’ appetite for higher yields, with Italy’s election keeping people uncertain about Europe’s future and the US Federal government preparing to impose dramatic budget cuts. The kiwi fell as low as 82.08 US cents, its lowest level this year, and traded at 82.10 cents …

New Zealand shares fell from near a 5-year high after Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd said it will sell a 44 percent stake in Sky Network Television at a discount, prompting investors to liquidate other holdings to free up funds. The NZX 50 Index declined 64.38 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4253.60. Within the index, 40 stocks fell, eight rose and …

Yanking the levers of the banking system to choke off a credit cycle boom requires care, since there’s no guarantee how people will start borrowing again once the lever is released, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand says. “A counter-cyclical buffer would be ‘released’ when there were clear signs the credit cycle had peaked,” the central bank says in a …