Crucial face-to-face talks between the owners of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter and its electricity supplier, Meridian Energy, resume in Wellington today, with both sides blocking out the rest of the week, if necessary, to try and nut out a new electricity contract. Representatives of the smelter’s 80 percent owner, Pacific Aluminium, are due to arrive for the talks at …

The New Zealand dollar rose above 85 US cents for the first time in two months as global equity markets rose, local business confidence improved and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke gave no hint that quantitative easing could end. The kiwi advanced to 85.21 US cents, rising above 85 cents for the first time since Feb. 15, from 84.86 cents …

Wall Street advanced, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average sauntering to an intraday record as investors found value in Microsoft, Intel and Cisco. Shares of Microsoft, last up 3.7 percent, Intel, last up 3.4 percent, and Cisco, last up 2.3 percent propelled the Dow to a fresh intraday high of 14,716.46. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index followed suit, touching …