UPDATE: NZ economy softer than expected in 4Q, likely to remain subdued near term

UPDATE: NZ economy softer than expected in 4Q, likely to remain subdued near term
Rebecca Howard
(Recasts lead and updates to add comment from economists)  By Rebecca Howard March 15 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand dollar fell a quarter US cent after news New Zealand's economy grew at a slower-than-expected pace in the fourth quarter and economists now expect near-term growth to remain subdued.  Gross domestic product expanded 0.6 percent in the three months to Dec. 31, versus a 0.6 percent expansion in the third quarter, and was 2.9 percent higher on the year, Statistics New Zealand said. Economists expected GDP expanded 0.8 per...