MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares fall led by Spark on earnings; Skellerup drops

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares fall led by Spark on earnings; Skellerup drops
By Suze Metherell Feb. 19 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares fell, led by Spark New Zealand after its first-half earnings fell short of market expectations. Skellerup Holdings paced the decline as it downgraded its profit outlook. Xero was issued a 'please explain' note by stock market operator NZX. The NZX 50 Index fell 15.134 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5726.225. Within the index, 22 stocks fell, 16 rose and 12 were unchanged. Turnover was $149 million. Spark fell 4.8 percent to $3.15, on concern the country's biggest telecommunicati...