NZ retail sales unexpected fall in third quarter; kiwi dollar drops

NZ retail sales unexpected fall in third quarter; kiwi dollar drops
Nov. 14 (BusinessDesk) – New Zealand retail sales volumes unexpectedly fell in the third quarter, led by supermarkets and motor vehicles, sending the kiwi dollar lower on speculation the economy is weak enough to warrant a rate cut from the Reserve Bank next month. The volume of retail sales fell 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, in the three months ended Sept. 30, for a 2.1 percent gain from a year earlier, according to Statistics New Zealand. A quarterly gain of 0.5 percent was forecast in a Reuters survey, for an annual increase of 2.9 per...