MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares fall as Asian markets extend slide; Xero, Westpac, Fletcher drop

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares fall as Asian markets extend slide; Xero, Westpac, Fletcher drop
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Jan. 11 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares fell for the fifth consecutive session as equity markets across Asia continued to slide. Xero, Westpac Banking Corp and Fletcher Building declined while Warehouse Group gained. The S&P/NZX 50 Index dropped 55.29 points, or 0.9 percent, to 6,102.82, a three-week low. Within the index, 36 stocks fell, 12 rose and two were unchanged. Turnover was $82 million. The NZX 50 rose 13 percent in the fourth quarter last year to hit an all-time high of 6,324.26 on Dec. 31, and has fallen 3...