New Zealand Shares Rise; Westpac NZ Renews 11-Year Loyalty Partnership With Air New Zealand
New Zealand shares closed higher on Tuesday as markets digested a rally in Wall Street shares on Monday.The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 0.56% or 76.10 points to close at 13,621.66.On Monday, the Nasdaq Composite ended 2.1% higher, the S&P 500 gained 1.2%, while the Dow Jones added 0.6%.In domestic news, New Zealand business confidence rose 27 points to 37 in June, according to a report by ANZ.Also, New Zealand's lending from registered banks and non-bank lending institutions increased in May, driven by growth in housing, business, agricultural, and consumer loans, according to data from the Reserve Bank of New ZealandIn corporate news, Westpac Banking's (ASX:WBC, NZE:WBC) Westpac NZ renewed its 11-year loyalty partnership with Air New Zealand (ASX:AIZ, NZE:AIR), allowing the bank's customers to continue to earn points through the airline's Koru program.Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZE:VHP) said it will undertake stage 2 of the Macarthur Health Precinct in New South Wales, an incremental development of NZ$99.3 million with a total project cost of NZ$112.2 million, to deliver a short stay surgical hospital and medical outpatient building.
