MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares shrugs off Wall St weakness; defensive stocks gain, Genesis hits record

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares shrugs off Wall St weakness; defensive stocks gain, Genesis hits record
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth March 26 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares shrugged off the weak leads from Wall Street overnight as the defensive qualities of companies offering stable dividends found favour with investors. Genesis Energy was among those beneficiaries, hitting a record today.  The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 55.51 points, or 0.6 percent, to a record 9,574.82. Within the index, 33 stocks gained, 11 fell, and six were unchanged. Turnover was $232 million, of which $88.1 million was in Trade Me Group.  Investors on Wall Street were spooked b...