NZ dollar gains as tough-talking Japanese govt lifts Asian stocks, fiscal cliff looms

NZ dollar gains as tough-talking Japanese govt lifts Asian stocks, fiscal cliff looms
By Paul McBeth Dec. 27 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand dollar rose in local trading as the prospect of a stronger Japanese government stoked investors' appetite for riskier assets, with stock markets gaining across Asia. The kiwi rose to 81.98 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 81.69 cents at 8am and 82.15 cents in Asian trading yesterday. The currency gained to 70.30 yen from 70.08 yen yesterday. Japan's Nikkei 225 index climbed 1.3 percent in afternoon trading, leading stocks across the region higher, after new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe...