Energy Mad, which raised $5 million in an initial public offering last year to kick start sales of its energy-efficient light bulbs, widened its first-half loss after quality control issues in manufacturing a halogen bulb replacement for the Australian market. The shares dropped 8.5 percent. The loss was $500,000 in the six months ended Sept. 30, from a loss of …

The New Zealand dollar fell after US House of Representatives Speaker and senior Republican John Boehner dashed optimism politicians were getting closer to avoiding the fiscal cliff. The kiwi fell to 82.24 US cents at 8am in Wellington from 82.41 cents yesterday. The trade-weighted index declined to 73.58 from 73.74 yesterday. Investors eschewed risk-sensitive currencies such as the kiwi and …

Units in the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund jumped 21 percent on their debut as investors clamoured to get more exposure to the dairy cooperative’s earnings after a $525 million initial public offer. The fund, which grants holders access to Fonterra’s dividends but not voting rights, opened at $6.66, after the issue price was set at $5.50 after a bookbuild, the top …