The SME Stream

More companies are reporting their profits from the final portion of 2025, and it's sparking investigation into what investors need to pay attention to. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Forsyth Barr's Zoe Wallis has all the investment tips for your Monday morning.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was having a good old debate with a mate at the weekend about interest rates.  We're of the age where, mortgages are a thing.  In Auckland, quote a bog and annoying thing.  Paying them down is the aim of the game.  Now this mate of mine knows a bit more about this stuff than I do and watches the markets closely. He's worried about the middle of the year - potentially this rec...

In this episode, Iyia breaks down why staying focused as a business owner feels so hard when you’re juggling nonstop decisions, interruptions, and mental load, and why it’s not a discipline issue, it’s a system issue. She explains “attention residue” and how constant task-switching keeps you stuck in reaction mode, then shares practical strategies to regain control: s...

The Prime Minister remains hopeful for a fall in unemployment this year. Unemployment's reached a 10 year high of 5.4% - with Auckland's unemployment rate rising again to 6.4%. Job numbers have increased, but that's been offset by more people joining or re-joining the labour market. Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking that the economy's rebounding, and that should flow through to the job market soon. He...

The job market's remaining tougher, for longer, than many economists were expecting.  Unemployment's reached a ten-year high of 5.4% in the December quarter, and the broader under-utilisation rate is close to a ten-year high as well, at 13%.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is trying to point out silver linings, saying the data also shows more jobs have been created, and hours worked are...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.   This week, Unemployment is up but is the picture as bad as it sounds? Insurance premiums are in the spotlight as the gov...

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New jobs data out today spells worry for New Zealand’s economy.  The unemployment rate was 5.4% in the December 2025 quarter – the highest since September 2015.  Most banks had expected unemployment to hold steady at 5.3%, ASB was a bit more bullish picking 5.2%.  It means 165,000 people were unemployed last quarter – a quarterly increase of 5,000 people....

There are hopes things will gradually turn a corner for Canterbury milk processing firm Synlait.  It's revealed it expects to report a $77 to $82 million half-year loss, due to the ongoing impact of previous "manufacturing challenges” at its Dunsandel plant.  Ashburton-based supplier Willy Leferink says suppliers are worried, but they have supply contracts to honour, and what reall...

New Zealand's economic recovery could be more of a crawl, or a climb, than a bounce.  The job market remains tough, with unemployment now at a ten-year high.  EMA Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge it's going to take a while for improved conditions and Government policy changes to flow through to the job market.  ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith says while jobs are being...

The Government has launched a review into soaring home insurance costs - to take place over a six-month period. This investigation comes as AA Insurance moves to pause new home insurance offers across the South Island. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacked what we can expect from this deep dive. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blenheim residents say AA Insurance has stopped offering new home insurance policies in their town, following similar decisions in Westport and parts of greater Christchurch.  The insurer would not confirm that Blenheim and the neighbouring settlements of Renwick and Seddon were subject to its temporary halt. Insurance Council CEO Kris Faafoi says the insurer is still supporting their current...

Do you feel better off than you did three years ago? With it being election year, that’s the question politicians are going to be asking you. It’s the question I’m asking you too in light of the latest unemployment numbers - which are the highest in more than a decade. That’s the overall number. In Canterbury, things are a little bit better. The unemployment rate here is do...

In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, we look at the rise and fall of MethaneSAT, the $30 million national space project that was supposed to cement New Zealand as a serious spacefaring nation.  Instead, it became a case study in governance failure, misaligned incentives and lost opportunity.  Launched in March 2024 and lost in June 2025 after persistent spacecraft glitches, Met...

The chief executive of Open Country Dairy talks about the Gulf Food Trade Show in the Middle East, why Trump is good for business, and the prospects for tonight’s third GDT for 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Economists are divided on whether unemployment is finally starting to fall.  Stats NZ is releasing its latest employment update at 10.45.  Economic conditions are improving, but that's also prompting more people to re-join the labour market.  Most bank economists expect the unemployment rate to remain unchanged from three months ago at an historically high 5.3%, but ASB economists t...

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Many Kiwis re-fixed their mortgage last year and will be re-fixing their mortgage again this year too.  Four in five borrowers have re-fixed in the past year – a 13-year high.  And more than two-thirds of fixed rate loans are due to come up for renewal this year.  Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Mike Hosking most people have been opting for one-year or 18-month term...

New Zealand's biggest bank, ANZ, has downgraded its forecast for property prices this year.  It says its previous forecast of 5% is looking unrealistic as the OCR looks to be making a turn soon and market prices are already falling - now saying a 2% rise is more likely.  Meanwhile, economists are laying out their predictions for when we'll see the OCR make that turn.  Many say it wo...

Rabobank’s senior ag analyst previews the bank’s NZ Agribusiness Outlook 2026 - titled "Keeping one move ahead". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view that increased employment will be the key to our economic bounce back.   Infometrics says there's worrying indicators which show economic momentum is fragile.  But more signs of improvement are expected by midyear, when labour market conditions should be turning.   Infometrics’ Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge that they are expecting the economy to pick u...