Investors will have to make it through another week of the “will they, won’t they taper this month”-guessing game before US Federal Reserve policymakers next meet on December 17-18. Clues might come on Monday when Richmond Fed Bank President Jeffrey Lacker speaks at the economic outlook conference in Charlotte; St Louis Fed Bank President James Bullard talks on the economy …

New Zealand property values rose at a 9.2 percent annual pace in November, and continue to be driven by a shortage of houses in Auckland and Christchurch, although there appears to be some slowdown in buyer interest, according to state valuer Quotable Value. Property values in the Auckland area rose at an annual 15.2 percent pace, ahead of the 14.5 …

Bank of New York Mellon Corp, which has US$1.5 trillion of assets under management, has reduced its holding in Chorus after the telecommunications network company said it would be hurt by the regulator’s decision to lower the price it can charge retailers for its copper-based broadband service. New York-based BNY Mellon, which is also the world’s largest custody bank with …