eartland New Zealand, whose shares reached a post-listing high this week, was halted from trading pending an announcement to the stock exchange. The stock jumped to 92 cents on Wednesday, closing at 89 cents yesterday. In the past 12 months the shares have gained 23 percent, compared to the NZX 50 Index rise of 15 percent in the same period. …

The New Zealand dollar rose as weaker US retail sales and concerns about disruption to the economy from winter storms weighed on the greenback. The kiwi rose to 83.52 US cents at 8am in Wellington from 83.11 cents at 5pm yesterday. The trade-weighted index advanced to 78.50 from 78.28 yesterday. The US dollar weakened after a report showed retail sales …

Wall Street moved higher, as a surprise deal for Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable offset a drop in Cisco shares and weaker-than-expected US retail sales and weekly jobless claims. Shares of Time Warner Cable soared, last up 9.3 percent, after Comcast agreed to buy the cable company. Shares of Comcast were last 4 percent weaker. “This leaves Comcast as …