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NZ Dollar Outlook: Kiwi may decline as greenback rises ahead of jobs report

The New Zealand dollar may decline as the US dollar continues to trend higher leading into a key jobs report, amid a slew of economic indicators and central bank meetings. The kiwi will probably trade between 76 US cents and 79.80 cents this week, according to a BusinessDesk survey of 11 traders, strategists and brokers. Seven predict the kiwi will fall this …

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While you were sleeping: Visa, MasterCard rally

Wall Street rose after a report showing the US economy grew at a better-than-expected clip in the third quarter, while shares of Visa and MasterCard rallied after their latest earnings topped expectations. In afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.30 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.53 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index …

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MARKET CLOSE: NZX 50, Freightways rise to records; Mainfreight paces gains

New Zealand shares rose to a record led by Freightways after a profit upgrade. Mainfreight and Restaurant Brands paced gains as investors hunted for yield investments after the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold. The NZX 50 Index rose 14.305 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5370.18, marking the sixth record close in a row. Within the index, 23 stocks rose, 14 fell and 13 were unchanged. Turnover was $94.3 million. …

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Vital Healthcare flags A$15.5M of Australian developments, sells NZ property

Vital Healthcare Property Trust, the country’s biggest listed medical and healthcare property investor, has signalled development plans totalling A$15.5 million in Australia, and has sold a New Zealand property as it looks to exit low-growth assets. The property investor has a A$9.5 million redevelopment plan to expand its Belmont Private Hospital in Brisbane and A$6 million upgrade of its Hurstville …

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LGNZ values water infrastructure at $35 billion, 20% up for renewal

A quarter of New Zealand’s $35.7 billion of water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is more than 50 years old and up to 20 percent needs renewal or is unserviceable, according to the 3 Waters project by Local Government New Zealand, the first national picture ever published of New Zealand’s water assets. Overall, New Zealand’s water infrastructure was sound and performing as needed, but investment …

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Smelter’s future back in focus for Meridian

Meridian Energy will watch first for closure by fossil fuel-fired power stations before making any decision on how it responds if the Rio Tinto, majority owner of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, exercises its option to terminate its contract on July 1 next year, Meridian’s chief executive, Mark Binns, told shareholders at the company’s first annual meeting since listing on the …

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Chorus plan to add director to boost capability in changing landscape

Chorus, the regulated telecommunications network operator, wants to add another independent director to its board to enhance its capability in what’s become a vastly different landscape in just three years. Shareholders today voted on whether to approve a lift in the pool for directors’ fee to $1.1 million from $980,000, which was set in 2012 when Chorus was carved out …

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Dorchester gets past 90% ownership for Turners, triggering mop op

Dorchester Pacific, the finance company, has reached the 90 percent threshold in its takeover of Turners Group, allowing it to mop up remaining shares in the car auction firm. Dorchester offered Turners’ shareholders either $3 a share in cash, two-year notes that pay interest of 9 percent and convert to Dorchester shares, ordinary shares of Dorchester, or any combination of the three. …

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NZ business confidence shows first gain in eight months in post-election bounce

New Zealand business confidence advanced for the first time in eight months in October, rebounding from a two-year low as certainty returned following last month’s general election. The New Zealand dollar rose after the survey was released A net 26.5 percent of firms are optimistic business conditions will improve in the coming year, up from a net 13.4 percent last month …

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NZX posts slower Q3 revenue growth as election weighed

NZX, the New Zealand stock exchange operator, said third quarter revenue growth almost halved from the year earlier pace as activity slowed ahead of September’s general election and the number of new listings declined. The Wellington-based company said revenue rose 6.7 percent to $16.5 million in the three months ended Sept. 30, lagging the year earlier’s 12 percent pace. New capital listed over the latest …

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