Auckland house prices edged up for a second month in June in the face of fewer listings and intense demand among property buyers, according to Barfoot & Thompson, the city’s biggest realtor. The average sale price rose 0.8 percent to $649,945 last month, adding to a 0.3 percent gain in May, the firm said. The median price rose 3.5 percent …

The New Zealand dollar weakened as signs of an improvement in the US economy buoyed speculation the Federal Reserve will start tapering its asset purchases. The kiwi dropped to 77.45 US cents from 77.73 cents at the 5pm market close in Wellington yesterday. The local currency earlier this morning fell to 77.31 cents, the lowest level since Monday. The trade-weighted …

Wall Street fell, giving up earlier gains, as comments by Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley suggested the central bank might reduce monetary stimulus provided by its bond-buying program. “I believe a strong case can be made that the pace of growth will pick up notably in 2014,” Dudley told the Business Council of Fairfield County in …