MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise; SkyCity gains on earnings, Tower surges on takeover, Sky TV drops

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise; SkyCity gains on earnings, Tower surges on takeover, Sky TV drops
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Feb. 9 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares rose, with SkyCity Entertainment Group gaining following its first-half earnings while Tower soared 42 percent on a takeover bid. The S&P/NZX 50 Index gained 55.36 points, or 0.8 percent, to 7,121.63. Within the index, 24 stocks rose, 16 fell and 10 were unchanged. Turnover was $96.3 million. SkyCity Entertainment Group led the index, up 6.2 percent to $3.97. New Zealand's only listed casino company posted an 18 percent lift in first-half profit as improved trading at its key Au...