AWF Group, New Zealand’s largest provider of temporary staff, has agreed to buy Madison Group for as much as $36 million to expand into the recruitment of professional workers from its core business of recruiting labourers. Madison Group had sales of more than $56 million in the year ended March 31, compared with AWF’s revenues of $131 million. AWF expects …

The New Zealand dollar weakened on the expectation the US government’s failure to reach agreement on its budget, partially shutting down government services, will only be temporary. The kiwi slipped to 82.66 US cents at 8am in Wellington from 83.05 cents at the 5pm market close yesterday. The trade-weighted index dropped to 76.81 from 77.32 yesterday. Investors are betting fallout …

Stocks gained, while US Treasuries and gold fell, amid expectations that the US government’s partial shutdown over lawmakers’ failure to agree on a federal budget will be short-lived and the impact on the economy limited. In late afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.40 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed 0.76 percent, and …