The SME Stream

The Finance Minister's defending the decision to delay fuel tax and road user charges, saying it won't add to the country's debt.  The excise was due to rise 12-cents a litre in January, but has been pushed back a year and cut to five cents.  The Government now needs to put an extra $1.4 billion into the Land Transport Fund.  Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking it's not the right time t...

NZ Herald Business Editor at Large Liam Dann on New Zealand’s debt nearing $1 trillion, where borrowing is slowing and why SME debt remains a concern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoe Wallis from Forsyth Barr joins Herald NOW to discuss the markets movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand business confidence fell 2 points in August to 54 from 56 last month - and it's sparked discussion about what this could mean for the OCR. There's speculation the cash rate could be set for an increase this Wednesday. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly outlined his prediction further ahead of the next update. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's debt levels are closing in on $1 trillion, almost doubling in the last ten years.  Economist Cameron Bagrie told Mike Hosking that while our debt issues need to be solved, on a global level we aren't out of the norm.  "The government books are a lot healthier than what we're seeing in an awful lot of other countries around the globe, but we're, we're a shaky island, so we g...

No matter how nice the house is, it all comes down to the money. You could be eyeing up your dream house, but the price is always gonna be the deciding factor.  So if you're selling, how do you know what to price your house at. And if you're a buyer, how can you be sure that the house you buy will give you a similar return in the far-future?  Head of Network for LJ Hooker Allaine Burkett...

Buying a home used to mean checking the LIM, getting a builder’s report and sorting the mortgage. But natural hazards, insurance restrictions and increasingly complex property issues mean buyers now have much more to consider. Solicitor and Landley Law director Sue Foley joins Nadine Higgins to explain the red flags buyers should look for, why insurance needs to be considered early, what sel...

Consequences for New Zealanders overseas who default on their student loans are being proposed under National's new policy. If elected, local graduates would keep more of their pay each fortnight, while overseas borrowers could face an extra one percent interest on their loans. Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis explained that they're hoping to keep skilled young Kiwis in the country. LISTEN ABOVE...

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Panelists Dileepa Fonseka and Lara Greaves discuss the tax policy back and forth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strong production, high prices, favourable exchange rate - the boom continues for primary producers. BusinessDesk reporter Riley Kennedy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World's most valuable company forecasts gross margin to slidie... but it's from 75% to 71%, then back up to 73%.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To the Reserve Bank, the cash rate and the state of NZ Inc. It's assumed by most that the cash rate will be increased 25 points to 2.75%. It's also assumed there will be another one by the end of the year. What happens after that has a “who knows” feel about it. What I feel, to a degree, is a groundhog-ish sort of vibe. We have been here before. We were here before the war. The momentu...

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 …More positive signs for our economic recovery, the battle of the pre-election business policies continues,...

Kim Crossman has spent more than 20 years building a career in entertainment... but becoming a mum has changed everything. In this episode of Make It Happen, we sit down with Kim to talk about what happens when the career you’ve spent decades building suddenly isn’t the only thing defining your future. We talk about the uncertainty of an industry where your next job is never guaranteed...

Could we FINALLY be at an economic turning point?   Westpac economists have forecast the economy will return to growth in the current quarter.  They reckon there'll be 2.1% growth across 2026 – even picking up to 3% next year ... with exports and tourism doing the heavy lifting.  So, are we out of the woods - or is this just a brief respite before the next shock?  To...

Meridian’s profit rebounds sharply as renewables investment accelerates. CEO Mike Roan outlines the growth plans and what they mean for power prices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westpac's latest report expects the economy to grow over the next two years, and unemployment to improve. Nicola Willis joins Herald NOW. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's hit out at Labour's plan to pause fuel taxes.  Labour's promised no hikes to the fuel excise over the first three years if elected and will consider pushing back National Land Transport fund projects to compensate.  National's announced it doesn't plan to go ahead with an excise lift scheduled for January.  But Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking they can't p...

Forsyth Barr's Mark Richardson joins Herald NOW to break down how investors should read company results. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BusinessDesk’s Dileepa Fonseka returns from Taiwan with lessons for NZ on AI, industrial policy and building globally competitive industries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nvidia has reported its better-than-expected earnings for this quarter. It's earned $100 billion of revenue in three months - more than double a year ago.  Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further, as well as what this result means for the AI boom. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forsyth Barr's Paul Laxton Koraua breaks down the retail results, revealing where consumers are spending and which retailers are winning market share. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The overall economy seems to be holding together as it slowly gets back on track.  Westpac's August overview forecasts 2% growth across this year – accelerating to 3% in 2027.   It points to an uptick in activity after falling flat in the three months to June.    Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge the war in Iran has played into a lot of uncertainty in...

Tauranga Port expanding. Auckland Port seeing 5.5% lift in container volumes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.