New Zealand shares rose, pushing the NZX 50 Index to its eighth consecutive record close, after Heartland New Zealand affirmed guidance. Genesis Energy and Infratil gained as investors hunted yield in a low interest rate environment. The NZX 50 Index rose 30.385 points, 0.6 percent, to 5418.219. Within the index, 23 stocks rose, 13 fell and 14 were unchanged. Turnover was $84 million. Heartland climbed 3 percent to …

The switch from floating to fixed interest rates mortgages has impacted Westpac New Zealand’s net interest margin,which fell six basis points in the 2014 financial year. Net interest margin is the difference between what interest the bank charges for loans and what it has to pay for the money. It fell to 2.27 percent in the year ending Sept. 30, from …

The New Zealand dollar may decline as the US dollar continues to trend higher leading into a key jobs report, amid a slew of economic indicators and central bank meetings. The kiwi will probably trade between 76 US cents and 79.80 cents this week, according to a BusinessDesk survey of 11 traders, strategists and brokers. Seven predict the kiwi will fall this …