Indebted children's clothing retailer Pumpkin Patch is under the blowtorch of its bank funders, deferring delivery of its full-year report yesterday and warning of a larger-than-expected loss for the year.
Listed South Port was named the Westpac Supreme Award winner at the Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards last night, having boosted cargo handling by 1 million tonnes over six years and increased its workforce nearly 70%.
Farmers might have embraced Fonterra's increased payout forecast this week, but brokers are more cautionary about its performance with debt levels now above $7billion and the dairy giant's ''ambitious targets'' during the next three to five years.
New Zealand's annual trade deficit has widened to $3.3billion - its highest since early 2009 - most affected by a rise in Chinese imports and from US capital goods including aircraft imports.
DNZ Property Fund has agreed to buy 19 mainly Countdown supermarkets across the country for $287million, and went into a trading halt yesterday to raise about $129million towards the purchase.
Volatility is expected to grip the world's commodities markets this week, after China released data revealing a further manufacturing slide, dipping to a six and a half year low.
Commercial property investor confidence nationally is down 10% in the quarter to September, the largest decline in the seven years of the Colliers International survey.
Queenstown Airport set a passenger record for August - up 13.1% to 155,668 visitors - underpinned by the Winter Games and additional airline capacity.
Migration records have pushed New Zealand's population growth to ''heady'' annual gains of 2%, but the issue of the ''stellar'' inward migration is a double-edged sword, cautions BNZ's head of research Stephen Toplis.
Motor Trade Finance (MTF) has urged shareholders to sit tight as it engages with competing suitors Turners and bank Heartland New Zealand - both of which are interested in taking a stake in the company.
Confidence has taken a knock in the rural sector as shown in two separate surveys. Rabobank says farming sentiment continues to hover around decade lows.
A second-half trading boost for The Warehouse propelled its profit beyond forecast guidance, but it was down 6% on last year's profit of more than $60million.
Another suitor for Motor Trade Finance has warned its shareholders of allowing its competition Turners to form a 10% blocking stake, which would stymie any other attempt at a 100% takeover.
Australian-listed minerals explorer MOD Resources has earned an increase to 80% of its stake in the Sams Creek gold deposit northwest of Nelson, with joint venture partner Oceana Gold.
Briscoes' hostile $362million, 100% takeover bid for Kathmandu has fallen flat, with shareholder and analyst scrutiny of the sports and leisure retailer's performance now expected to become intense.
Independant reports have backed Oceana Gold's proposal to buy a South Carolina development gold mine - a scrip-only acquisition which could almost double the number of Oceana's shares on issue.
Port Otago's bottom line has been boosted by property and share sales during the past year, with before tax profit beyond $50million, and a slightly larger $7.25million dividend to 100% owner the Otago Regional Council.
The fortnightly global dairy auction posted its third consecutive rise with overall prices up 16.5%, the crucial whole milk powder component gaining 20.6% in its own right.
Year-on-year farm sales are down 10% at 1727, while sales for the three months to August are down almost 5%, according to data released yesterday by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.
Privately owned infrastructure company Fulton Hogan has managed to boost its bottom line, despite a $340million revenue decline, largely credited to the ailing Australian economy.
