Wall Street retreated, pushing the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index from its five-year high, as investors gear up for the fourth-quarter earnings season. Profits at S&P 500 companies increased an average 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Excluding financial companies, earnings rose 0.5 percent. Alcoa is the first company to report after the market …

New Zealand shares rose, pushing the NZX 50 Index to a new five-year high as investors cheered Ryman Healthcare’s performance by pushing the retirement village operator to a record close. Rival Metlifecare also advanced. The NZX 50 rose 9.803 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4084.84, the highest since December 2007. Within the index, 28 stocks rose, 10 fell and 12 …

he New Zealand dollar may extend its decline against its trans-Tasman counterpart as Australia’s currency rallies on rising commodity prices and the prospect of a stronger Chinese economy. The kiwi fell to 79.17 Australian cents at 5pm in Wellington from 79.35 cents on Friday in New York. It traded at 82.94 US cents from 83.02 cents at 8am and 83.13 …