Fonterra Cooperative Group’s tainted food scare has claimed its first scalp with the resignation of NZ Milk Products managing director Gary Romano. Romano, who initially fronted for Fonterra to New Zealand media while chief executive Theo Spierings went to China, has resigned effective immediately, the dairy company said in a statement. Spierings will personally assume interim responsibility for the daily …

SkyCity Entertainment Group shares fell to a seven-month low after the casino and hotel company posted an 8 percent drop in full-year profit that included weaker earnings from its Auckland business. The shares dropped 3.7 percent to $3.95 after the company reported net profit fell to $127 million in the year ended June 30, from $138.9 million, a year earlier. …

ASB Bank, the New Zealand unit of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, boosted full-year cash profit 12 percent as it grew its wealth and insurance business and kept a lid on costs. Cash profit, which excludes one-time items that don’t reflect the underlying business, rose to $699 million in the 12 months ended June 30, the company said in a statement. …