New Zealanders spent more on their credit and debit cards in February, fuelled by spending on hospitality, while durables and apparel rebounded from declines in January. The value of electronic card spending on retail rose 0.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted $4.58 billion in February, according to Statistics New Zealand. Core retailing, which excludes spending on fuel and auto-related items, …

The New Zealand government’s operating deficit was wider than expected in the first seven months of the 2014 financial year, with a smaller tax take than forecast and lower than anticipated tobacco excise duty. The Crown’s operating balance before gains and losses (obegal) was a deficit of $1.06 billion in the seven months ended Jan. 31, more than twice the …

New Zealand property sales fell 7.6 percent in February from a year earlier, which may indicate restrictions on high-debt lending are hindering first-home buyers, according to the industry body representing real estate agents. Some 6,125 properties were sold by real estate agents in February, down from 6,632 the same month last year, the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand said …