The New Zealand dollar rose to its highest in more than five weeks against the euro and the pound as concern about weakness in the European and UK economies contrasts with a brighter picture here. The kiwi jumped as high as 53.01 British pence, recently trading at 52.82 pence from 52.23 pence at the 5pm market close in Wellington yesterday. …

Equities on both sides of the Atlantic gained as Alcoa’s better-than-expected second-quarter earnings bolstered optimism that corporate America will report solid results and outlooks. In late afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.57 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 0.78 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 0.62 percent. Aluminium producer Alcoa was …

Michael Hill International, the jewellery chain that bears its founder’s name, increased sales 6.8 percent last year as it opened more stores in what the company said was a “challenging environment”. Sales climbed to $541.5 million in the 12 months ended June 30, from $507.3 million a year earlier when sales rose at a 4.6 percent pace, the Brisbane-based retailer …