NZ dollar firms on improving global risk appetite

NZ dollar firms on improving global risk appetite
Rebecca Howard
By Rebecca Howard March 12 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand dollar rose as global risk appetite got a lift after US retail sales data was better than expected. The kiwi was trading at 68.29 US cents at 8am in Wellington from 67.97 US cents at 5pm; the trade-weighted index was at 74.20 from 73.97.  "US retail sales gave risk sentiment a bit of a kick in the pants – the core reading for January came in well above forecasts, at 1.2 percent versus 0.6 percent. The world always looks to be a happier place when US consumers have their wallet...