The SME Stream

The Minister of Trade tries to clear up some of the confusion surrounding the latest on the Trump tariffs and the Indian FTA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trade Minister Todd McClay on what the latest twist in the tariffs story means for businesses in NZ. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business appears to be booming in most parts of the country. ABC's quarterly market report shows business sales are up 28 percent on this time last year, with average prices up three percent. It finds 507 completed sales over a 12 month period - a new historical high. ABS Business Managing Director Chris Small told Mike Hosking that there's a link between sales and the current state of the economy...

Donald Trump remains steadfast in his pursuit of sweeping global tariffs - slamming a US Supreme Court decision outlawing them as anti-American.  The President's now taking advantage of a never-used trade law to enact 15 percent temporary levies, under the guise of a balance of payments deficit. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly unpacked the market reactions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio....

Genesis Energy says fresh Crown investment into the power generator will go towards building infrastructure.  The Government's confirmed it will put up to $200 million dollars - letting it retain its 51 percent shareholding, as Genesis launches a capital raise. Chief executive Malcolm Johns says the money will speed up its ability to build. "We're gonna build some solar farms, some grid-scale...

Signs of a turnaround in the retail sector as sales rise.  Stats NZ data shows sales jumped by $239 million in December, compared to the September quarter – up nearly one percent.  The growth was driven by pharmaceuticals and other store-based retailers, as well as electronic goods and hardware supplies.  First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Mike Hosking s...

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, The OCR holds steady so will retail interest rates do the same? Another roadblock for the India free trade deal, a...

The Government will today reveal its back down on controversial Auckland housing intensification plans amid fierce public criticism.   New planning rules would currently allow another 2 million homes in Auckland.  But last month the Government announced it'll water down the rules with an announcement expected this afternoon.   Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Kerre Woodham a ba...

Auckland Airport says it's gaining momentum. It's reported a four percent increase in revenue in its half-yearly results.  The airport says that lift in revenue is being driven by a two percent increase in passenger numbers to 9.6 million. Chief Executive Carrie Hurihanganui says there's still more work to do - since numbers still haven't caught up to pre-pandemic levels.  LISTEN ABOVE S...

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PGG Wrightson’s GM of Real Estate takes his monthly look at the state of the rural market, and the planets are certainly aligning for farm values! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confidence green pastures lie ahead for Fonterra, as the sale of brands like Anchor and Mainland nears completion. Almost 99 percent of shareholders voted today to get the tax-free $3.2 billion capital return, from the purchase by French company Lactalis. FedFarmers Dairy Chair, Karl Dean, says the sale is part of Fonterra's move to focus on ingredients. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained furthe...

New reports indicate the tech sector is getting hid hard by a turbulent market, with many software companies taking a hit. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained the impacts - and which companies are doing it tough. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist is pointing out a potential problem with the Reserve Bank’s economic forecast.  The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Anna Breman, has decided to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25% for now.  It says while inflation is above the target band, the economy still needs some time to recover.  Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge that the problem with the Reserve Bank’...

OpenClaw is the moment AI stops feeling like a clever chatbot and starts behaving like something closer to a digital co-worker. In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, you’ll hear exactly why. Veteran software developer and AI entrepreneurMike Hall joins me to break down what OpenClaw actually is in plain language. It’s not another prompt-and-response assistant, but a particular...

Our new Reserve Bank Governor says she has full confidence in the people making OCR decisions.  The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Anna Breman, has decided to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25% for now.  It says while inflation is above the target band, the economy still needs some time to recover.  Breman told Mike Hosking the committee will make the best decisions it can, base...

The new Reserve Bank Governor is standing by the first OCR decision she's overseen - keeping the cash rate at 2.25 percent. Anna Breman said the Bank isn't happy with inflation being at 3.1 percent, but it's likely it will drop later in the year. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs the job market is on the up.   New Seek data shows job ads have grown by 1.5% since October and are now 11.7% higher year on year.   Gisborne's led monthly growth with an almost 4% increase, while Marlborough's the only region with a record annual decline in ads, at -6%.   However Seek Country Manager Rob Clark says the fact growth stretches across regions and industries is a...

We’ve had the first monetary policy decision from the new Reserve Bank Governor, and it’s not until you get a new captain at the helm that you realise just how little confidence you had left in the previous one. Now, to be fair, it’s early days for Anna Breman. We’ll judge her by what she does from here on in. But she does start with a clean slate - without us reading too m...

The new Reserve Bank Governor will deliver her first Monetary Policy Statement today.  The central bank's expected to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25%.  It's likely to show when inflation should start easing, and when the economy should recover from last year's downturn.  BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones told Mike Hosking today’s announcement will likely see them swap out the mil...

The Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong says the party wants to replace super with a new support system See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freightways Chief Executive, Mark Troughear, says the new border tax is unfairly applied and talks about the company's efforts to address this issue with the government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll learn today, where the new Reserve Bank Governor sees the OCR heading. The central bank's expected to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25 percent. Governor Anna Breman will be releasing her first Monetary Policy Statement since taking charge 11 weeks ago. It's likely to show when inflation should start easing, and when the economy should recover from last year's downturn. Econ...

The business events sector's working to bump up our international multi-day conferences, which are currently lagging behind domestic bookings.  A Business Events Industry Aotearoa report shows events contributed $925 million to the economy last year.   Multi-day conferences generated approximately 1.5-million visitor nights for accommodation, nationwide.  BusinessNZ Advocacy Directo...