The SME Stream

So you want a loan to buy a property.  The bank sifts through all the money that's gone in and out of your accounts going back an uncomfortable amount of time, and give you a number they're willing to lend you. You think to yourself, the process is so long and gruelling, and they require so much of your usually private documents, that surely you can afford to meet those repayments - right?&nb...

Yesterday New Zealand First announced a campaign policy to break up New Zealand's supermarket duopoly. Woolworths and Foodstuffs currently control over 80 percent of the grocery market. NZ First leader Winston Peters told Mike Hosking he isn't pursuing this now because, "the National Party is not for it, the ACT Party is not for it. I mean, they've got their policies which are to stagger on w...

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 fuel crisis continues, putting pressure on the Reserve Bank over what to do with the OCR, retail spend i...

The Iranian military has threatened shipping in the Gulf, Red Sea, and the Gulf of Oman if the US naval blockade continues. The threats made by general Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi were apparently aired on Iranian state television. Meanwhile, talks could resume as early as this week with NBC news reporting Trump has said the war was “very close to over” while Tehran has said messages were st...

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! As the fuel crisis continues, more people are opting to take the bus instead of drive or fly. Do we see this becoming a permanent shift, or will things go back to normal when the oil crisis ends? What...

Westpac Senior Analyst Satish Ranchhod discusses why the forestry sector is particularly vulnerable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says they remain confident about New Zealand's fuel supply, but remain ready to act further if necessary.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated farmers president Wayne Langford reveals what farmers will actually be spending on their record breaking pay out.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lift in beneficiaries could suggest recent policy decisions are taking us in the wrong direction.  At the end of March, just over 409-thousand people were on a main benefit, almost three percent more than the year prior. Jobseeker numbers are up 2.6 percent. Auckland University Associate Economics Professor Susan St John told Ryan Bridge many of the ways we've tried to bring down spending h...

Kiwi company Allbirds has announced a new direction and it's drawn questions from experts. After years of losses, the former sustainable shoe company is transitioning to AI after selling all its assets this month. It's revised its moniker to NewBirds AI - seeing share values surging up to 700 percent. NZ Herald senior business writer Chris Keall says the tech and business-based press has raised co...

'The big question for global markets is what's going to happen with reporting season?' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 60, our guest is The Right Honourable David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Leader of the Act Party. To many of us, it seems like David Seymour has been in the public eye for so long that we feel like we know him. And yet, as it turns out, we know very little. He grew up in a Whangarei family, with working parents and a personal ambition shaped p...

Big organisations love to talk about innovation. They set up labs, hire “transformation” teams, and run hackathons.  Yet inside many companies, the best ideas still die in PowerPoint decks or get buried in cautious business cases. In this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, I talk to Gravity cofounder James Boult, an innovation specialist who has spent years inside large...

Inland Revenue has claimed New Zealand needs higher taxes, building off earlier arguments made by Treasury. It sees scope to increase the goods and services tax (GST) rate - offering a cash transfer to low-income earners - and tax more capital gains. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The PM ponders the Indian FTA, whether the $3.2 billion Fonterra capital return injection into the economy will “touch the sides”, and whether he needs help when it comes to his own communication with the media.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Three rate hikes ignores that the market has already dramatically tightened conditions": Matt Goodson, Salt Funds Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra’s new chief executive in waiting joins us to discuss his past and Fonterra’s future.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists are divided over how fast the Reserve Bank should raise the Official Cash Rate.  ANZ has already picked three consecutive hikes in July, September, and October, while Westpac says it’s becoming more of a possibility next month, but is more likely in September.   On the hand, Kiwibank believes raising the rate multiple times before the election would be reckless.  In...

Business update with Garth Bray, thanks to Forsyth Barr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forsyth Barr investment adviser Mark Richardson shows how to make gains on your investments with clever decisions in a shaky economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business commentator Bernard Hickey - "Anna Breman is talking tough.. not sure Nicola Willis will be thrilled with three rate hikes before the election." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fears the Government isn't taking the fuel crisis seriously enough. We have 56.3 days of petrol, 45.4 days of diesel, and 47 days of jet fuel, either landed or on the way. Simplicity chief economist, Shamubeel Eaqub says there seems to be a lack of certainty the fuel will actually arrive. He says we should be conserving supplies more.  "Because any time we buy now gives us more resilience."&n...

There’s renewed hope in the Kiwi start-up scene with a surge of investment in 2025.   New data shows the number of deals rose 14%, with total investment surging 61% to $754 million.   Fintech and health-tech saw strong gains, while climate and clean-tech dropped.  Angel Association Chief executive Bridget Unsworth told Mike Hosking 47 companies were funded, compared to 51 in 2...

The Prince of the Provinces, Matua Shane, defends his nationalistic stance over the Indian FTA, and also defends a potential critical minerals deal with Trump. And why is he claiming victory in a gold mining debate with Sir Ian Taylor that he pulled out of? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner says we left monetary policy too loose during Covid, so the Reserve Bank is likely to start lifting the OCR from July. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.