US President Barack Obama’s speech aimed at gaining domestic support for military action against Syria and the continuing debate over the timing of the start of the Federal Reserve’s taper will top this week’s agenda. President Obama is scheduled to make his Oval Office address on Tuesday evening, hoping to convince Americans that the US must act. The risks of …

The New Zealand dollar advanced, tracking most of its peers, as the US dollar weakened following softer US jobs data last week. The kiwi rose to 80.22 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 79.80 cents at the 5pm market close yesterday. The trade-weighted index advanced to 75.60 from 75.41 yesterday. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a …

Tenon, the wood mouldings company controlled by former Fletcher Challenge unit Rubicon, boosted its funding lines, signing up to a bigger banking facility as it seeks to cash in on the US housing recovery. The Auckland-based company signed a five-year, US$70 milion facility, adding PNC Bank National Association to its banking syndicate with existing lenders Bank of New Zealand and …