MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise, Xero and Meridian gain while Air NZ drops

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise, Xero and Meridian gain while Air NZ drops
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Jan. 19 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares rose, led by Xero after news its chairman is leaving, with Meridian Energy gaining while Air New Zealand dropped The S&P/NZX 50 Index advanced 3.09 points, or 0.04 percent, to 7,062.36. Within the index, 26 stocks rose, 15 fell and nine were unchanged. Turnover was $100.2 million. Today, US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said that country's economy is closer to the Federal Reserve's goals, which gives the central bank impetus to begin to reduce the levels of support it has...