Cooks Global Foods, the New Zealand franchisor of the Esquires cafe chain in markets outside Australasia, is poised for North American expansion.

There is near-unanimous support on NZIER's shadow board for Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler to raise the official cash rate again tomorrow, to 3 per cent.

Interest rates could peak at a level which would see first-home buyers in Auckland spending two-thirds of household income paying the mortgage.

Another rise in the official cash rate, to 3 per cent, on Thursday is seen as a virtual certainty.

According to the NZX, there is a gap in our capital markets infrastructure that hampers small and mid-sized companies' abilities to raise capital.

Shares in Genesis Energy closed up 26c to $1.81 after the first day of trading.

NZ stocks joined a global rally yesterday as US company earnings growth lifted sentiment for equity markets.

NZ Stocks rose led by Pacific Edge as investors re-evaluate prices of tech stocks after the recent a sell-off in the sector worldwide.

New Zealand technology shares have taken another pummelling as investors around the globe continue to re-evaluate growth-oriented stocks in a sell-off a local market player.

New Zealand shares followed Wall Street lower as investors question whether tech and high-growth companies can deliver the earnings growth implied by their valuations. Pacific Edge led the NZX 50 Index lower, while Xero and Diligent Board Member Services

The United States tech sector has taken a hammering and investor sentiment has turned against so-called "growth" stocks, writes Liam Dann.

Pacific Edge shares slumped to a five-month low and Xero plunged again as as the local stock market joined a global sell-off amid concerns high-growth companies may struggle to convert sales into profits.

Xero chief executive Rod Drury is "extremely confident" the market will return to technology stocks after the company's shares slumped to a four-month low.

The Commerce Commission has offered immunity from prosecution to a financial markets participant as part of an investigation.

Orion Health is bidding for a massive Saudi Arabian technology contract that could turn the Middle East into one of the New Zealand software developer's biggest markets.

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri is poised for a major push into the Middle East, including a relaunch in Saudi Arabia after a five-year absence.

Given economist Noriel Roubini's track record it would be foolhardy to write him off as just another overly pessimistic grump, writes Liam Dann.

The Middle East remains an untapped business opportunity for exporters as their focus is dominated by booming Asian markets such as China.

United States stocks had a mixed week with the broader market rising on better economic data

Stock exchange operator NZX says it will ramp up its efforts to help investors understand how it regulates the market this year.