SYDNEY: The New Zealand dollar rose to a session high on Wednesday after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand made upbeat comments about growth, while it kept interest rates steady at 2.5 percent, as widely expected.

The kiwi jumped to around $0.8450, from around $0.8405 before the rate announcement, showing a rise of 0.3 percent on the day.

The RBNZ left its benchmark cash rate unchanged and said it expected to hold rates for the rest of the year as it saw inflation risks staying contained even as economic growth picked up.

<Center><b><i>Copyright Reuters, 2013</b></i><br></center>