New Zealand shares fell on the last trading day of the year, though not enough to prevent 2012 being the best for the NZX 50 Index since 2004, with the strongest gains coming from growth stocks and companies making comebacks. The NZX 50 fell 14.389 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4066.513 and has advanced almost 25 percent in 2012, just …

NZX boss Tim Bennett featured in the final NZX stock filing for 2012, an announcement that he has acquired 1.58 million shares in the bourse operator from his long-term incentive scheme. The stock exchange’s chief executive acquired the $1.87 million stake, which amounts to 0.6 percent of the company’s shares on issue, as part of his incentive scheme, according to …

The New Zealand dollar rose as traders squared up their year-end positions as negotiations in the US to stave off legislated tax hikes and spending cuts that automatically kick in on Jan. 1 remain unresolved. That kiwi is heading for a 5.8 percent annual gain on its relative yield advantage. The kiwi rose to 82.33 US cents at 1.30pm in …