MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise as Fletcher jumps on Wesfarmers report, Mercury, A2 Milk fall

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise as Fletcher jumps on Wesfarmers report, Mercury, A2 Milk fall
Jonathan Underhill
By Jonathan Underhill April 13 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 Index rose, with much of the gain driven by Fletcher Building shares, which lifted on a report Australia's Wesfarmers has taken a small stake. Mercury NZ led decliners and A2 Milk fell on concerns it could be hurt by rivalry in sales of dairy products with the A2 protein variant. The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 10.55 points, or 0.1 percent, to 8,414.77. Within the index, 23 stocks gained, 17 fell and 10  were unchanged. Turnover was $129.7 million.  Fletcher r...