First-home buyers took out only 10 per cent by value of mortgages given by New Zealand banks in September.

Homeowners feeling flush after learning their newly-released property values are borrowing more from banks to splurge on new cars, boats and home renovations.

Wall Street climbed, with the Dow and the S&P 500 touching record highs, amid optimism about the outlook for corporate profits.

Loan to value ratios on bank mortgage lending could be in for a change this week when the Reserve Bank releases its financial stability report.

Labour's leadership contest has turned into a showdown on the party's capital gains tax policy, with Andrew Little and David Parker at loggerheads over its future.

House values throughout New Zealand rose 1.1pc in the past three months, the slowest rise in two years, according to QV data out.

The NZ dollar fell below a key support level of 77 US cents, driven by optimism about the outlook for the world's largest economy.

Yngve Slyngstad, Norwegian wealth fund's CEO, says almost all investment decisions are affected by what happens in China.

The New Zealand economy has managed the ultimate "Houdini" act by avoiding the inflationary pressures that usually go along with strong growth, Westpac said.

A resurgent US dollar and more bearish talk from the Reserve Bank combined to drive the kiwi dollar 2pc lower in active trading this morning.