New Zealand property values climbed 10 percent last year due to the shortage of housing in Auckland and Christchurch, though Reserve Bank restrictions on low equity mortgage lending will probably start biting though the first half of this year, according to state-owned valuer Quotable Value. National property values rose 3 percent in the final three months of 2013, and are …

Burger Fuel Worldwide, the NZAX-listed fast food chain franchisor, will raise $5.9 million from a new US investor, Franchise Brands, to help fund its global growth aspirations, including plans to reach into the world’s biggest economy. Milford, Connecticut-based Franchise Brands will buy a 10 percent stake at $1.35 apiece with an option to lift its holding to 50 percent over …

Shares in SLI Systems soared to a six-month high after the online search software developer’s service topped 1 billion search queries in December, the first time it crossed that threshold. The shares rose as high as $2.50, the highest since July last year, and recently traded at $2.45, up 20 percent on the day, after the company said search queries …