The New Zealand dollar extended its decline from a four-year high against the yen as traders pondered the pace of monetary easing by the Bank of Japan that has weakened its currency against most trading peers. The New Zealand dollar dropped to 72.8 yen from 73.10 yen at 5pm in Wellington yesterday. The kiwi slipped to 83.49 US cents from …

Equities on both sides of the Atlantic weakened at the start of the fourth-quarter earnings season in the US that is expected to show tepid growth in corporate profits. Quarterly earnings are expected to increase by 2.7 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. “People are concerned about earnings,” Ken Polcari, director of the NYSE floor division at O’Neil Securities in …

New Zealand shares rose in subdued January trading, led by Metlifecare, Telecom and PGG Wrightson as investors were drawn to the yields available on equities in the face of low interest rates. The NZX 50 Index rose 5.52 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4090.36. Within the index, 13 stocks rose, 25 fell and 12 were unchanged. Turnover was $82.8 million. …