Air New Zealand, which is 73 percent state-owned, posted first-half profit that more than doubled after lifting passenger volumes and boosting yields on international routes, while keeping costs in check. Profit rose to $100 million in the six months ended Dec. 31 from $38 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based airline said in a statement. Operating revenue rose 3.4 percent …

Wall Street rallied for a second day as stronger-than-expected reports on US business spending and the housing market bolstered optimism about the sustainability of the economic recovery. In afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.94 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 1.09 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.14 percent. Orders for …

TeamTalk, which bought the rural telecommunications provider Farmside last year, has cut its annual earnings guidance, blaming the downgrade on the government-imposed levy to pay for servicing unprofitable customers in remote areas. The Wellington-based company made a net profit of $1.7 million, or 7.2 cents per share, in the six months ended Dec. 31, from $5.4 million, or 23.3 cents, …