COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2997, 7 February 1917, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

' INVESTMENT SHAKES. Yesterday's Quotations for investment shares were as follow:— Bujers. Sellers. £ 6. <L £ b. d. Bank NZ. (£3 6s. Bd.) ... 11 0 0 — Auckland Gas (paid) — 19 6 Well, (Jas (£10) - 15 0 0 Weli Gas (pref.) , 018 3 - Well. Jleat Export (£5) ... 6 5 0 — Union Steam (ord.) 2 0 6 — Huddart-l'arker (ord.) ... 1 4 0 — W'&ipa Coal 0 18 0 — Ijuyland-O'Brien 13 6 — Manning and Oo — 4 5 0 \ ~ Customs duties'collcctod at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1767 ss. 10(1. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S MARKET REPORT. Tlio following c&rreetiona have been made in the cablegram dated- London, February 3. 1917. received by the Department of Agriculture, Inaustries, and Commerce, from the Hij?li Commissioner for New Zealand. Certain words in tho above cablegram liave been repeated,with the result that tile translation of the meat aud liemp sections as issued yesterday require amending. The correct translation reads as lollows:— Meat.—All descriptions of frozen meat continue in good domand. The demand for Now Zealand frozen meat is ill excess of supplies. Prices aro hiuher, frozen meat not undor Government control orpins to expectation of supplies being retarded on account of submarines. SenZealand mutton, per lb., 8Id.; ewe mutton, Bid.; Argentine mutton, heavy-weight, lOd.; rdglht-weight, l&M-; New Zealand lamb, lOd.; Argentine lamb. Hid.; New Zealand beef, no supplies available; Argentine chilled beef, hinds ISd., fores 10(1.;' American pork, 102 d. Hemp.—The market is firm, and prices.continuo to advance. Manila market j? excited by speculative demands due to the fear that. supDlies will be short. New ZeaUtnd, business dull, little offering; quotations aro nominal. Januarv-Jlarcli sliipment. good fair, £iZ; fair, £60; Gov-ernment-graded fair Manila, £72; coarse, £64. Tho output of hemp at Manila for the week ending last Saturday was 16,000 bales. NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COMPANY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, February 6. 'llhe balance-shed, of tho, New' Zealand Insurance Company for the year ended November 30 shows a net income from premiums, interest, and rents of £980,892. The available balance, including the balance brought forward from the previous year, amounts to £153,580, from which has to be deducted a dividend of £22,500 paid in August. The directors now recommend placing £60,000 to the reserve fund. From the balance of £71,080, the directors recommend the payment of a dividend at tho rate of 3s. 6d. per share, and a bonus of 6d. por share, absorbing .EJO.ttW, making 'Is. per share for thn veav leaving £41,080 to be carried forward. The paidup capital, reserves, .iuid undivided profit now amount, to £1,211,060 after providing for tho dividend recommended by the directors. SOUTHERN MARKETS. SSOJ^—qdUiiSapj, Xf[ Ghrfstchurch, February 6. Millers are generally satisfied with the fixeil wheat prices, but they will not meet the merchants to the same extent until the full terms are known, however. The position is not at all clear, fand the wheat market in the meantime is at a standstill. There is no change in other lines of grain and little business is doing. The same may be said of crass seed. The IKjtato market has not yet opened, and reports on the main crop are very satisfactory, and lato showers have proved very beneficiil. Tho crop is reported to he free from blight, and no fear is entertained that there -will bo any trouble in that respect this year. LONDON QUOTATIONS. ByTelei?raph--Presß Association-Copyright (Rec. February 6. 10.35 p.m.) t London, February 5. Waihi, 325. 6d„ 335. 9d. METAL MARKETS. (Rec. February 6. 10.35 p.m.) London, February 5. Copper.—Spot, £134 55.; three ■ months', £130 ss. Lead.—Spot, £30 10s.; three months',: £29 10s. Spelter.—Spot, £53 155.; three months', £51. Tin.—Spot, £200 17s. 6d.; three months', £201 17s. 6d. BRADFORD WOOL MARKET. (Rec. February 6, 10.35 p.m.) London, February 5. At Bradford there is a little more inquiry, but tho market is still quiet, with' pricos unchanged. WHEAT. (Rec. February 6, 10.35 p.m.) „ . London, February 5. Wheat.—nominal; prices unchanged.