MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares fall as raft of earnings loom; Heartland, Fletcher drop, Sky TV, Air NZ gain

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares fall as raft of earnings loom; Heartland, Fletcher drop, Sky TV, Air NZ gain
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Feb. 20 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares fell in light trading ahead of a busy day of earnings tomorrow, with Heartland Bank and Fletcher Building dropping while Sky Network Television and Air New Zealand rose. The S&P/NZX50 Index dropped 16.98 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,098.27. Within the index, 21 stocks fell, 18 rose and 11 were unchanged. Turnover was $84.4 million. "The volumes are appallingly light, if you look at a lot of stocks the volume is just tiny," said David Price, broker at Forsyth Barr. "On balance,...