The New Zealand dollar pared gains from a more optimistic Reserve Bank review today after rating agency Standard & Poor’s joined the dots between a slowing Australian economy and the possible peak of the nation’s mining boom. The kiwi dollar rose to 83.47 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 83.11 cents just before the RBNZ announcement, but was down …

Godfrey Hirst, the biggest carpet maker in Australia and New Zealand, has bought Oamaru’s unprofitable yarn-spinning plant from Japan’s Sumitomo Corp, effectively putting 192 staff on notice as it looks at ways to turn the operation around. The company, which bought the Feltex business out of receivership, was granted Overseas Investment Office approval to buy the assets last month. It …

An unnamed Swedish institution has been cleared to buy eight Waikato dairy farms from local billionaire Graeme Hart’s Carter Holt Harvey by the Overseas Investment Office. Southern Pastures Limited Partnership was given a green light to buy 3,205 hectares of land in December for an undisclosed sum, according to a decision summary published today. The farms have been for sale …