MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares down, Fletcher and Sky TV drop on earnings, Tower gains on rival bid

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares down, Fletcher and Sky TV drop on earnings, Tower gains on rival bid
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Feb. 22 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares dropped, dragged lower after Fletcher Building's first half earnings disappointed, with A2 Milk Co and Sky Network Television also falling. The S&P/NZX50 Index fell 53.22 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,062.47. Within the index, 32 stocks fell, 16 rose and two were unchanged. Turnover was $148.7 million. Fletcher Building, the second biggest stock by market cap, led the index lower, down 5.2 percent to $9.68. The company posted a 2 percent gain in first-half profit to $176 million...