AMP, the dual-listed financial services firm, expects first-half earnings to fall by as much as 16 percent after its Australian wealth protection business struggled in the second quarter. The Sydney-based firm anticipates underlying profit of between A$415 million and A$435 million in the six months ending June 30, from A$491 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement. …

The New Zealand dollar dropped as investors continue to favour the US on signs of a revival in the world’s largest economy. The kiwi fell to 77.29 US cents from 77.71 cents at 5pm in Wellington Friday and 77.52 cents at the New York close Friday, when it dipped below 77 cents for the first time in a year. The …

Investors will focus on a slew of US economic data and speeches by Federal Reserve officials in the coming days, as nerves remain frayed by Ben Bernanke’s signal that the American central bank might pull back its stimulus sooner than expected. Wall Street calmed down by Friday, closing higher for the day, following losses the previous two days after Bernanke …