The New Zealand dollar gained against most of its trading peers after weak economic figures in Europe and the UK, and rising equity markets stoked demand for so-called risk assets. The kiwi dollar rose to 84.12 US cents from 84.03 cents at 5pm in Wellington yesterday, having climbed as high as 84.44 cents overnight. The trade-weighted index rose to 77.26 …

Wall Street advanced as solid economic data and a sigh of relief for the health care industry underpinned sentiment. The latest data on the US economy bolstered expectations that the recovery is on track at a pace that will also safeguard the Federal Reserve’s backing. Factory orders advanced 3 percent in February, slightly ahead of economists’ expectations for a 2.9 …

Prices of dairy products surged to a record in Fonterra’s latest GlobalDairyTrade auction as traders competed for a shrinking volume of milk powder in the face of the continuing impact of drought. The GDT-TWI Price Index rose 14.2 percent compared to the last sale two weeks ago, the eighth straight gain. The average winning price rose to US$4,966 a tonne, …