Midday Report for Monday 16 February 2015

12:35 PM.News from the rural and farming sectors. Audio

12:26 PM.The New Zealand rugby sevens side is about to take on Fiji in the final of the Las Vegas tournament. Audio

12:24 PM.For the latest from the markets we're joined by James Malden at Macquarie Private Wealth. Audio

12:22 PM.The jeweler, Michael Hill International, has high hopes the stand-alone boutique concept for its budget-priced Emma and Roe brand will be successful. Audio

12:21 PM.Sky City Entertainment's share price has fallen this morning after the government refused to stump up more cash to help build its planned convention centre in Auckland. Audio

12:20 PM.Activity in the services sector has started the year strongly. Audio

12:18 PM.Cheaper cars have helped boost retail spending. Audio

12:17 PM.Contact Energy's shares have fallen more than 8 percent, after the company's first-half net profit plunged by more than half, due to lower retail profit margins, outages and one-off costs. Audio

12:00 PM.The Local Government Commission is criticised for the lack of super-city debate in Wellington and SkyCity is responsible for all convention centre project timeframes. Audio