New Zealand shares fell as Xero extended its slide from a record high and market heavyweights Fletcher Building and Telecom dragged the benchmark index lower. Meridian Energy gained on its debut, helping lift MightyRiverPower and Contact Energy. The NZX 50 Index fell 10.759 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4852.594. Within the index, 21 stocks fell, 21 rose and eight were …

The New Zealand dollar fell, closing in on a key support level, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting and after the Reserve Bank of Australia said its currency may be “materially lower” in future. The kiwi fell to 82.67 US cents at 5pm from 83.03 cents at the start of the day and from 83.07 cents the previous …

The Supreme Court has granted the four former directors of failed lender Lombard Finance & Investments leave to appeal their sentences on issues of fact, but turned down the application to have their convictions overturned. The country’s top court today turned down an attempt by former Justice Ministers Doug Graham and Bill Jeffries, former PR man for the Queen Lawrie …