New Zealand shares fell with Australian shares amid investor caution ahead of this weekend’s federal election. The declines were paced by Fletcher Building as investors took advantage of a gain in its price to sell for a profit. The NZX 50 Index fell 7.173 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,597.178. Within the index, 20 stocks fell, 18 rose and 12 …

Rakon, the wireless device components maker, plans to start paying dividends in a bid to revive sagging investor confidence after successive years of an underperforming share price. Chairman Bryan Mogridge told shareholders the board today resolved to pay up to 50 percent of net profit, provided it’s fiscally appropriate, after the year ended March 31, 2015. Rakon has previously steered …

Transfield Services, the Australian company at the centre of a row over payment of New Zealand sub-contractors on the national ultra-fast broadband project, has broken its two day silence on the issue to say all outstanding payments will be made in the next two working days. In a statement on the company’s website, Transfield apologises “for the disruption caused by …