The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a record, bolstered by better-than-expected earnings and a more upbeat profit outlook from United Technologies. Shares of United Technologies advanced, last up 3.2 percent, after the company lifted the lower end of its full-year profit forecast. “The growth in orders is fuel for the coming quarters,” Chief Executive Officer Louis Chenevert told Bloomberg …

New Zealand shares rose as investors renewed their appetite for growth stories such as Xero and Diligent Board Member Services, while Synlait Milk soared 25 percent in its NZX debut. The NZX 50 Index gained 26.550 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4580.591. Within the index, 25 stocks rose, nine fell and 16 were unchanged. Turnover was $78 million. OceanaGold, the …

Loss-making start-up companies with heavy research and development expenditure will be eligible for a tax-free loan of up to $500,000 annually under proposals outlined in a discussion paper released today. The tax rules, as they stand, are seen to discourage R&D-intensive start-up firms because they have more difficulty than most accessing bank lending, can often expect to make losses for …