UPDATE: Air New Zealand annual earnings fall 21% in competitive market, hikes dividend

UPDATE: Air New Zealand annual earnings fall 21% in competitive market, hikes dividend
Rebecca Howard
(Recasts to add market reaction, adds detail throughout, analyst comment, updates shares)  By Rebecca Howard Aug. 23 (BusinessDesk) - Air New Zealand's shares rose 1.5 percent after it said its full year earnings fell 21 percent in an increasingly competitive market but were still the second highest ever as the airline continues to benefit from lower jet fuel prices and the country's ongoing tourism boom.  Pre-tax earnings dropped to $527 million in the year to June 30, compared to $663 million in the prior year, the company said in a...