Xero founder reaps benefits of stock market surge.

The top U.S. derivatives regulator took its biggest step yet to increase surveillance of high-speed and other forms of computer-driven trading.

The stock, which is listed on both sides of the Tasman, traded as high as $1.27 - a 16.5 per cent gain on the opening price - before closing up 11.9 per cent at $1.22 last night.

Things are booming at rest-home builder and operator Ryman Healtcare, with profits growing and a pipeline of new villages underway.

A decades-long source of frustration for the deer industry - South Korea's special excise tax (SET) on deer velvet - is about to be removed, Deer Industry New Zealand said.

The New Zealand dollar was little changed against the greenback this afternoon as investors continue to weigh up whether the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates next month.

Negative impact on world markets following Paris terrorists attacks is tipped to be short-lived.

COMMENT: It is never comfortable to make the leap from real human tragedy to assessing economic and financial fallout, writes Liam Dann.

Difficult conditions for sheep meat overseas helped drive Alliance Group's pre-tax profit down by 55.1 per cent to $7.9 million in the year.

The world's biggest banks may need to raise as much as $1.2 trillion to meet new rules laid down by financial regulators.

There are those who say you can never have too many unicorns. But others fear that increasing numbers may be a bad omen.

The S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.06 per cent, or 3.89 points, to 6069.74. Within the index, 23 stocks rose, 16 fell and 11 were unchanged.