A partner with a top law firm says up to 20 sharemarket floats could take place this year.

There is growing speculation that the Financial Markets Authority is investigating a high-profile local fund manager over alleged market manipulation.

New Zealand shares fell for a second day as the kiwi dollar's slide to a four-year low sapped overseas investor appetite for high-yielding stocks.

Goldman Sachs' latest NZX Ownership Survey shows overseas interest in the NZ sharemarket has remained static over the past 12 months.

The initial public offering pipeline is expected to keep delivering in the year ahead, but market watchers say it will be a challenge to match or exceed 2014's bumper crop of 12 IPOs.

The benchmark NZX 50 Index hit its highest point yesterday and has risen by 17 per cent in 2014, marking another golden year for local equities.

As Grant Adamson lay in hospital after a brain aneurism Michael Ambrose gave the late retirement village visionary a promise - one that was kept with the float of Arvida Group.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon expects low oil prices to stimulate demand for travel but for their beneficial effect on the airline's fuel bill to be muted by the fall in the New Zealand dollar.

NZX, will spend up to $35 million buying fund manager and KiwiSaver provider SuperLife.

Today we count down to the announcement of the Herald Business Leader of the Year. Here are the first of this year’s nominees. The winner will be named on Saturday.

Evolve Education Group made a solid sharemarket debut yesterday, with its shares closing at an 8 per cent premium to the $1 offer price.