New Zealand business confidence extended its slide from a 20-year high, while remaining at elevated levels, amid expectations the central bank will continue to hike interest rates to quell inflation in an accelerating economy. A net 64.8 percent of firms are optimistic about general business conditions this month, down from 67.3 percent in last month’s survey and 70.8 percent in …

Woolworths, Australia’s biggest supermarket operator, said third quarter sales barely budged at its Countdown chain in New Zealand, in the face of a subdued, highly competitive market. New Zealand supermarket sales edged up 0.1 percent to $1.4 billion in the 13 weeks ended April 6, the Sydney-based retailer said in a statement. The strength of the kiwi dollar meant sales …

New Zealand building consents for residential housing, excluding apartments, rose to a six-and-a-half year high in March, snapping two months of decline. Excluding apartments and units, which are typically volatile from month to month, seasonally adjusted consents rose 1.3 percent to 1,813 units in March, the most since November 2007, according to Statistics New Zealand. Including apartments, seasonally adjusted new …