MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares up on A2's 27% surge; Synlait, Fletcher, Spark drop

MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares up on A2's 27% surge; Synlait, Fletcher, Spark drop
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Feb. 21 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares rose as A2 Milk Co surged on its tie-up with Fonterra Cooperative Group, while Synlait Milk, Fletcher Building and Spark New Zealand dropped. The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 102 points, or 1.3 percent, to 8,200.27. Within the index, 22 stocks rose, 21 fell and seven were unchanged. Turnover was $272.9 million. A2 shot up 26.5 percent to a record $11.75 today, dragging the index with it after reporting a record first-half result and a new deal with Fonterra. The company announced it h...