MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise; Comvita, A2 Milk gain, Steel & Tube extends slide

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise; Comvita, A2 Milk gain, Steel & Tube extends slide
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot July 28 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares gained in relatively subdued trading ahead of earnings season. Comvita and A2 Milk rose while Steel & Tube Holdings dropped. The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 4.44 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,306.34. Within the index, 30 stocks rose, 18 fell and three were unchanged. Turnover was $124.4 million. Comvita led the index, up 4.1 percent to $10.78. The stock has gained 23 percent this year but dropped to a 3-month low of $10.35 on Tuesday. Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Cr...