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Better-than-expected Chinese data and takeover deals helped bolster Wall Street, which also welcomed a Russian proposal to put Syria’s chemical weapons under international control in an effort to avert US military intervention. Shares of Molex soared, last up 31.6 percent, after Koch Industries agreed to buy the maker of electronic components for US$7.2 billion. In other deals, Ares Management and …

New Zealand stocks rose slightly, as did Australian stocks, where markets were digesting the implications of a clear, but less emphatic than anticipated, win for the Liberal Party-led coalition of the new Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. The NZX 50 Index rose 16.841 points, or 0.366 percent, to 4,614.019. Within the index, 24 stocks rose, 17 fell and nine were unchanged. …

The New Zealand dollar edged lower as weaker-than-anticipated US jobs figures on Friday pared expectations for an aggressive withdrawal of stimulus by the Federal Reserve, and as traders prepare for the local central bank to review rates on Thursday. The kiwi slipped to 79.78 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 80.09 cents at 8am, and 79.96 cents on Friday …

The New Zealand dollar may gain this week as the central bank’s pending decision on interest rates draws attention to the strengthening local economy, highlighting that the next move in interest rates will be up. The local currency may trade between 77.20 US cents and 82 cents this week, according to a BusinessDesk survey of nine traders and strategists. Four …

Goodman Property Trust, the country’s biggest listed property investor by market value, is planning to spend $22.4 million on a new building at its Central Park development in Auckland’s Greenlane. The property trust’s manager, Goodman (NZ), said it will erect a new five-level office space with 5,670 square metres to cater for more than 2,000 people, replacing an older building. …

Rising New Zealand property values accelerated last month as the lack of listings in Canterbury and Auckland continue to overheat the market, prompting the Reserve Bank to impose low-equity home lending restrictions from next month. Property values rose at an annual pace of 8.5 percent in August, from an 8.1 percent annual pace a month earlier, according to state-owned Quotable …

Infratil, the New Zealand stock exchange listed infrastructure investor, has paid down its bank debt and is considering buying back shares and ramping up wind farm investment in Australia after reaping about $400 million from the sale of a 30 percent stake in Z Energy. Infatil has used about half its funds from Z Energy to pay back bank debt …

The Financial Markets Authority has warned the failed Allied Nationwide Finance for probably breaching securities law, but won’t pursue tougher action as it wraps up another four investigations into the collapsed finance sector. The market watchdog won’t take enforcement proceedings against Allied Nationwide, Equitable Mortgages, LDC Finance or Irongate Property, and expects to make announcements on its remaining five cases …

Allied Farmers, which is recovering from its disastrous takeover of the Hanover and United Finance loan books, wants to raise up to $1 million in a bond issue to settle an outstanding tax bill and stave off threatened liquidation proceedings. The Hawera-based company’s Allied Farmers Rural subsidiary will seek at least $500,000 from a bond issue to fund a proposed …

New Zealand shares fell with Australian shares amid investor caution ahead of this weekend’s federal election. The declines were paced by Fletcher Building as investors took advantage of a gain in its price to sell for a profit. The NZX 50 Index fell 7.173 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,597.178. Within the index, 20 stocks fell, 18 rose and 12 …