New Zealand shares rose, pushing the NZX 50 Index to an all-time high, as Kathmandu’s record earnings prompted analysts to lift their estimates, and investors bought companies with reliable earnings and dividends including SkyCity Entertainment Group. The NZX 50 rose 54.136 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4764.723. Within the index, 22 stocks rose, 14 fell and 14 were unchanged. Turnover …

Fonterra Cooperative Group is promising a record payout to its farmers next year, while keeping dividends unchanged, underlining the competing needs of its suppliers and the investors in its exchange-traded units. Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund units ended the day up 0.4 percent to $7.10, having initially sold off after the world’s biggest dairy exporter posted its full-year results. Normalised earnings before …

The New Zealand dollar extended its decline in local trading after government figures showed the biggest monthly trade deficit in almost five years, and after rotten apple exports into China became the latest unsanitary food consignment to the country’s biggest trading partner. The kiwi fell to 82.27 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 82.70 cents at 8am and 83.35 …