Contact Energy, the second biggest listed power company on the New Zealand stockmarket, is looking at issuing a $225 million retail bond to help refinance $534 million of maturities coming next May. The Wellington-based company is considering an exchange offer to existing holdings of the 2009 bonds which mature on May 14, 2014, as well as a general offer to …

Veritas Investments, which bought the Mad Butcher franchisor business in March this year, will spend at least $3.4 million in cash and shares for a half-stake in the meat patty supplier for the local Burger King franchise. The Auckland-based firm will buy half of Kiwi Pacific Foods for $2.8 million in cash and $400,000 in shares at $1.38 apiece, with …

Gallagher Group, the privately held agricultural equipment firm, will exit its 12 percent stake in rival Tru-Test Corp as a condition of grabbing a value brand across the Tasman by buying Australian firm Country Electronics. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission won’t oppose Gallagher’s acquisition of Country Electronics, which trades as Thunderbird, after accepting the Hamilton-based group’s offer to divest …