The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed to a record, bolstered by gains in banks after better-than-expected UBS earnings, while disappointing earnings for McDonald’s and an unexpected drop in US home sales underpinned expectations the Federal Reserve won’t be in a rush to taper its bond-buying program. In late afternoon trading in New York, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index …

New Zealand shares rose, paced by some of this year’s strongest performers such as Xero, Diligent Board member Services and Ryman Healthcare, amid signs investors are regaining their appetite for risk as US earnings season generally doesn’t disappoint. The NZX 50 Index rose 15.735 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4554.041. Within the index, 29 stocks rose, 13 fell and eight …

The New Zealand dollar was little changed after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in the Cook Strait shut down parts of the capital city as authorities assessed the damage which was ultimately found to be largely superficial. The kiwi traded at 79.32 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 79.02 cents at 8am and 79.29 cents on Friday in New York. The …