Designer with a focus on retailing is finding receptive markets in Australia and beyond

Fletcher Building posted a 19 per cent gain in full-year profit, before one-time items, as the contribution from newly acquired Crane Group more than made up for a drop in sales of building products.

SkyCity, the country's biggest casino operator, boosted annual profit 21 per cent as its sales beat brokers' targets with Auckland gaming revenues reporting strong growth.

Disappointment about the outcome of a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy ruled investor sentiment on both sides of the Atlantic overnight.

Investors have begun the week on an optimistic note, helped by news of Google's $12.5b offer to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings.

The New Zealand dollar may rise this week, as equity markets recover from a three-week selloff following the US credit rating downgrade.

Finance Minister Bill English has acknowledged there is little he can do to stop shares from partial floats of state-owned enterprises ultimately ending up in foreign hands.

The New Zealand sharemarket has risen strongly in early trade, with the benchmark NZX-50 up 1.8 per cent.