NZ dollar nears record vs. A$ as retail sales beat expectations

NZ dollar nears record vs. A$ as retail sales beat expectations
By Paul McBeth Feb. 16 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand dollar rose against its Australian counterpart as retail sales beat expectations, reinforcing the view that the economic tide is in New Zealand's favour compared to that of its nearest neighbour. The kiwi climbed as high as 96.48 Australian cents, and was trading at 96.34 cents at 5pm in Wellington from 95.92 cents on Friday in New York. It gained to 75.07 US cents at 5pm from 74.50 cents at 8am and 74.52 cents last week. New Zealand government figures showed retail sales rose 1.7...