MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise ahead of earnings season; Steel & Tube, Westpac gain, Z, Skellerup fall

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise ahead of earnings season; Steel & Tube, Westpac gain, Z, Skellerup fall
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Feb. 4 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares rose in an absence of corporate news ahead of earnings season. Steel & Tube Holdings and Westpac Banking Corp led the advance while Z Energy and Skellerup Holdings dropped. The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 4.3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 6,137.7. Within the index, 23 stocks fell, 18 rose and nine were unchanged. Turnover was $127 million The local bourse lagged behind markets across Asia, particularly resource-rich Australia, which rebounded after a recovery in the price of oil. The S&P...