KKR's approach to struggling clothing company Pacific Brands is seen as opportunistic, given the target's weak earnings outlook, and some are tipping are higher offer.

Equities in Europe and on Wall Street advanced overnight and so did commodities, as data showed China's import growth last month eased to the lowest level in two years.

The volume of trading in shares on the NZX climbed almost 42 per cent last year.

Investors are becoming so averse to risk that for the first time they have paid more for German securities than they will get on maturity.

Infratil's Tim Brown on the usefulness of credit ratings