MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise as blue chips rally into holiday period; Spark gains

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise as blue chips rally into holiday period; Spark gains
Rebecca Howard
By Paul McBeth Dec. 20 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares rose as investors sought out blue-chip stocks, such as Spark New Zealand and SkyCity Entertainment Group, before heading into the holiday period.  The S&P/NZX 50 index increased 10 points, or 0.1 percent, to 8,772.19. Within the index, 21 stocks gained, 24 fell and five were unchanged. Turnover was $146.8 million.  Blue-chip stocks led the market higher, with a number acknowledging the appearance of global exchange-traded fund manager Vanguard as a substantial shareholder this...