Best of Business

Fletcher Building is looking into possibly selling its construction arm. It's exploring divesting its main construction division - and the Higgins, Brian Perry Civil and Fletcher Construction Major Projects business units. Milford Asset Management's Andrew Curtayne explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tower is ending its multi-policy discounts, with the insurer claiming the level of risk is unacceptable for meeting regulatory requirements. The insurer previously offered people who bought two eligible policies up to 10 percent off their premiums and up to 20 percent off if people had three or more eligible policies. Massey University marketing professor Bodo Lang explains why these changes are t...

So guess what's happening after Nicola Willis' butter meeting with Fonterra last night? Nothing. After hyping the meeting, after Mikey chasing Miles down the street, after the news going live with the banner across the TV that the Fonterra meeting is underway, after all of that - nothing is happening because nothing can happen, because Fonterra's not ripping us off. We're simply paying the sa...

Retailers across the country are surprisingly optimistic in the face of ongoing economic challenges.  The latest Retail NZ report reveals nearly 70% of retailers are confident their business will survive the next year, up from 57% for the same period last year.  This comes despite 62% of retailers failing to meet sales targets for the same period.   Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told...

Concerns have been raised among economists as inflation data suggests things may not be as on track as they seem. Inflation has hit 2.7 percent, with big food increases led by massive hikes in food prices. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains what this could do for the Reserve Bank's outlook going foward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand red meat exports earned an extra $1.2 billion this year, due to good livestock pricing and tighter supplies.  But the country's $10 billion-plus red meat sector has raised the alarm that it was struggling to get the numbers of livestock needed to satisfy international demand. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

The big news of the day is another $1 deal in the media, which probably tells you everything you need to know about the state of the industry. But this is, on balance, good news for everyone - I would have thought. It's good for you, for viewers, good for Sky, and good for Three. And I'm gonna work backwards on that - Let's start with TV3. It's good news for Three and for the people who work...

An Auckland property developer doesn't believe changes to rules on building granny flats will add the 13,000 extra dwellings claimed by the Government. Easing resource and building consents requirements for structures 70 square metres or less - was one of the Government’s first moves in office. David Witburn says the number is more like 3,000. "The reality is, it's a niche accommodation type, a gr...

Sky TV recently bought TV3 - and it's got experts speculating about what this could mean for the future of New Zealand sport. It's taking over Warner Brother Discovery's New Zealand television arm - including other linear and streaming channels, like ThreeNow. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sky TV is promising it won't shake the boat too soon after buying TV3 and ThreeNow - for a dollar.  Warner Brothers Discovery has sold its Kiwi TV arm, including a range of linear and streaming channels.  Sky TV says, for now, Sky Open will continue operations as normal and Three News will be kept at the six o'clock slot.  Chief executive Sophie Moloney says they might even still ne...

Stats NZ  recently reported annual inflation increased to 2.7 percent in the three months to the end of June, and it's sparked concerns among experts. Economists had all been expecting annual inflation would be recorded at 2.8 percent or 2.9 percent - close to the Reserve Bank's 3 percent target band. Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly revealed what this could mean for the econ...

Website infrastructure company Cloudflare has announced moves designed to stop AI from scraping digital content for free. Going forward, website owners can choose if they want AI crawlers to access their content - and decide how the content gets used. Cloudflare chief strategy officer Stephanie Cohen says websites want control over who uses their output - and they can charge or block AI platforms...

Experts have offered reassurance our high inflation isn't a sign of things to come. Stats NZ figures show the Consumers Price Index reached 2.7 percent for the year to June. Inflation fell to just 2.2 percent last year - from 7.3 percent three years ago - but has been rising since. Kiwibank senior economist Mary Jo Vergara says this is likely a spike, so should go back down. "If you look at domest...

Consumer NZ says complaints against Noel Leeming go beyond its price-matching policy.  The tech retailer is facing criminal charges brought by the Commerce Commission - accusing it of making misleading promises.  Noel Leeming's strongly rejecting the claim, and says it will vigorously defend its stance.  But Consumer NZ chief executive, Jon Duffy, says the company's also charged wit...

A win for Kmart workers, whose union says it's secured an industry-leading deal.  Worker First Union says it's ratified a two-year pay deal matching the minimum living wage - and rising alongside its increase next year.  Deputy Secretary of Retail at Workers First Union, Rudd Hughes, says this deal is a 'gold standard' for retail workers - and he hopes other retailers can follow suit. "I...

Inflation's cooling in many corners of the economy, but not headline inflation. Latest Stats NZ figures suggest core inflation and domestically-driven non-tradeable inflation are trending downwards. But annual inflation has risen to 2.7 percent, up from 2.5 three months ago. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says these figures will provide relief for the Reserve Bank, as they work on ge...

The US earnings season for the second quarter is under way - and one expert has revealed what this means for American households. Recent data shows households are staying resilient, and there's no sign of a recession as of yet. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the current geopolitical environment, product prices have strongly recovered from their lows of the past couple of seasons as demand returned from key export markets. Experts claim tighter global production has contributed to improved demand for meat products. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hunt is on for New Zealand's next big new start-up. Icehouse Ventures recently opened a $30 million seed round in an attempt to fund 30 new Kiwi-made business ventures. CEO Robbie Paul says they're looking to invest in new technology that can go from New Zealand to the world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail NZ is criticising the Commerce Commission's regulatory change to card payment fees. The Commission today announced new regulations on interchange fees, reducing charges to businesses for taking Visa and Mastercard payments. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says it's a complex issue - and these changes won't address everything. "This is one part of the merchant service fee, there's ab...

ANZ has declined a proposed settlement by lawyers leading a massive class action against the bank for giving customers the wrong information about their loans. The lawyers asked ANZ to agree to pay a penalty of up to $300 million, on top of the $35 million it has already paid more than 100,000 customers to compensate them for the error. ASB, which is also subject to the class action, is yet to res...

Ryman Healthcare's share price has gone up for the first half of July, leading experts to speculate about the company's future.  This follows a downturn from earlier in the year. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain has lost more billionaires than any other nation over the past two years, and there's fears a tougher wealth tax could drive these figures up. New research has found the UK lost nearly a quarter of its billionaires between 2023 and 2024, with many of the UK's wealthiest individuals moving their tax residency to low-tax jurisdictions.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says many of these ric...

As the summer barbecue season continues in the US, Americans are paying record-setting prices for their beef.  The price for New Zealand-produced beef has surged amid ongoing demand among US consumers. The Country's Jamie Mackay reveals what this news could mean for Kiwi farmers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research from the Financial Services Council reveals that New Zealanders are quick to insure their cars, homes, and gadgets - but they're far less likely to protect their health, income, and lives. The report, titled Money & You: Valuing Belongings Over Ourselves, shows New Zealanders are twice as likely to have car insurance over life or health insurance. FSC CEO Kirk Hope says expan...