The New Zealand dollar fell after the Federal Reserve signalled rates hikes were on the cards in the coming year, fuelling demand for the greenback, and as the looming Scottish independence referendum and the local general election keep an element of uncertainty in the air for investors. The kiwi traded at 81.05 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 80.96 cents …

Commercially troubled state coal miner Solid Energy requires an extension of a government guarantee to meet the $103 million future cost of returning mined land to its pre-mined condition in order to maintain positive equity in its balance sheet. The extension of the company’s remediation indemnity extends a similar deal made in 1987, when the then Labour government corporatised state coal mines …

Accounting firm PwC has taken the rare step of chastising another member of its own industry, ASX-listed Crowe Horwath, for understating by half the value of a settlement reached over the auditing of OPI Finance in the failed finance company’s receivership and breaking a confidentiality agreement on the deal. PwC, receivers for OPI Finance, said the settlement with Crowe Horwath was for …