Best of Business

ANZ is speculating interest rates will drop lower than previously expected - as the economy is predicted to need extra help to recover. The bank believes the OCR will bottom out at 2.5 percent, down from the 3 percent low that was previously predicted. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner says it's likely the Reserve Bank will give the economy an additional 'push in the back' to help boost a recover...

The Finance Minister is confident in the operational funding she's giving the Reserve Bank.  Nicola Willis has signed the bank up to a new five-year agreement - 25 percent under the billion dollars sought by the central bank. Willis says she's peeled back the $200 million a year the Reserve Bank had budgeted for - to $150 million. "Not just - are we taking it back to that figure? But we're sa...

The Finance Minister has unveiled a major reduction to the Central Bank's planned spending. The Government and the Reserve Bank have agreed to reduce operating expenses by a quarter in the coming year. They've signed a five-year funding agreement, allowing $750 million of operating expenses, well below the $1 billion the Bank was asking for. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan unpacks the a...

Over in Australia, the RBA says its upcoming May meeting would be an 'opportune time' to reconsider the OCR. Experts believe that the global uncertainty over U.S. tariffs could have significant impact on markets all over the world. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says a lot has changed within the economy - and inflation has dropped down. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

All eyes will be on tonight's Global Dairy Trade Auction to see if the tariffs will leave an impact on dairy prices. It's been two weeks since President Donald Trump imposed a set of tariffs impacting multiple countries - and financial markets have been sent into turmoil. The Country's Rowena Duncum explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reserve Bank economist Paul Conway believes there's one upside to the tariff turmoil for Kiwis. Conway suspects the tariffs will likely lead to lower inflation in New Zealand, which will also lead to lower interest rates. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen unpacked the announcement - and explained the ins and outs of the Reserve Bank's new Kiwi-GDP tool. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio....

Working from the office could set people up better for a promotion than working from home.  Recruitment agency Robert Half says 58 percent of workers believe opportunities to advance correlate with office attendance.  It says 54 percent would turn up more if it was needed to get promoted. Managing director Megan Alexander says there is a mentality of out of sight, out of mind.  She...

Concerns have been raised over the punishments NZ-based companies could face for greenwashing - and whether or not it's a suitable deterrent. An Australian court has ordered Glad owner Clorox Australia to pay A$8.25 million ($8.87m) for false or misleading representations about bags partly made of recycled 'ocean plastic'. Consumer NZ Investigative Team Lead Rebecca Styles joined the Afternoons te...

Kiwi toy entrepreneur Nick Mowbray says businesses in the US are pressing pause on major purchasing decisions.  There's ongoing uncertainty about Donald Trump's tariff plan.  The US President says he might temporarily lower tariffs on the auto industry following temporary reductions for Chinese electronics and goods from most other countries.  Zuru Toys co-founder Nick Mowbray told...

Last-minute efforts to keep British Steel operating are to be carried out today, as the plant races to secure a supply of raw materials. The Department for Business and Trade said officials are working to keep British Steel operational - and ensure all staff at the  Scunthorpe site will be paid. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says efforts are in place to keep it open - but things still feel quit...

The Trump administration's tariff announcements have left a notable impact on financial markets - and experts fear we may not be out of the woods yet. Smartphones, computers and some other electronics from China will face 20 percent tariffs, rather than the 145 percent imposed on other Chinese goods. The White House says the exemption is not permanent. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explai...

Demand is outpacing supply in the small business market, as sellers wait out tough trading conditions while buyer interest is at record levels. Recent data shows new business listings fell 10 percent in the year ended March, compared to a 10 percent increase in completed sales. ABC Business Sales managing director Chris Small says there's been an uptick in migrants gravitating to smaller businesse...

A successful Wellington business owner says if he were starting again today, he wouldn't start his business in Wellington.  "Whether you should do it in Wellington though, I would say no. I think Wellington is actually talent repellent system at the moment," Raygun founder John-Daniel Trask told Nick Mills.  "We’ve had people in our own organisation who have left and said I’m going to pl...

Markets have been losing many of yesterday's historic gains.  US markets climbed steeply after Donald Trump paused higher tariffs on most countries – locking them at 10%.  However, they plunged again after the White House confirmed tariffs on Chinese goods are now at 145%.  Business journalist Peter Lewis told Mike Hosking the up-and-down is likely to continue until investors have c...

A Labour MP is pushing for change on alcohol sales on certain holidays. Kieran McAnulty's new bill will let licensed businesses already open on ANZAC Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas sell alcohol. It's been voted through to Select Committee today. McAnulty says he's open to amendments to get the Bill through. He says if it turns out the majority of MPs don't want Christmas Da...

It's been an interesting week for global markets - with figures dropping or rising at a rapid rate. As Donald Trump's tariffs spark fear - or elation - among investors, questions have been raised over how we can make smart financial choices during a turbulent time. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains how people can make investments amid the chaos. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

United States beef prices haven't budged much since the implementation of the 10 percent tariff by President Donald Trump - but Kiwi exporters aren't safe. A subsequent tumbling in the value of the NZ dollar has pushed up farmgate prices in New Zealand dollars by nearly 5 percent. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains what this means for Kiwi beef exporters. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

Reports indicate the bond market ultimately prompted Trump to pull back on his stream of tariffs. The US President announced on social media that he paused tariffs against 75 countries for 90 days - with China being a notable exception. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann explained further - and unpacked the market reactions since Donald Trump made his u-turn. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/liste...

The OCR dropped 25 basis points again yesterday - but many homeowners have wondered why their mortgage rates haven't followed. Many people currently on floating rates have yet to see the impact of the cuts materialise, and there's usually a week-long delay OCR changing and banks following suit with their various mortgage rates. Kent Duston from the Banking Reform Coalition says it's unclear why it...

US President Donald Trump today forged ahead with tariffs of 125 percent against Chinese goods - escalating the US-China trade war. Trump’s sweeping tariffs have unsettled the global economy since coming into force over the weekend, and China has vowed to fight back with tariffs of their own. Mahon China Investment Management CEO David Mahon says China won't blink first in the stand-off. "Trump's...

Over in Australia, stocks have surged after an earlier crash brought about by Donald Trump's new tariffs.  The ASX  climbed more than 6 percent in early trade, while on Wall Street the S&P 500 climbed 9.5 percent. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this has prompted calls from economic experts to cut the OCR ahead of the Reserve Bank's next meeting. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

A US markets analyst suspects Donald Trump is trying to buy time by lowering tariffs on most countries to a blanket 10 percent for 90 days. But the US President's hiked them for China - to 125 percent. Scott Shellady says 75 countries are reportedly seeking an audience with the President.  "The 90 day pause is so he can get through the backlog of countries that said they want to do a deal." L...

Over in the UK, the Government could potentially nationalise British Steel as fears grow that the company's blast furnaces in Scunthorpe could run out of raw materials within days. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has sought to reassure workers at the Lincolnshire plant that the Government is looking towards nationalisation as a potential solution.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the UK is set to b...

The Reserve Bank is keeping a watching brief internationally as Donald Trump's new tariffs kick in. The central bank cut the Official Cash Rate another 25 basis points, to 3.5 percent. Banks speedily lowered their advertised rates in response. Milford Asset Management's Remy Morgan explained what the bank will be monitoring going forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The Government has introduced legislation that could see more than 150,000 mortgage holders miss out on hundreds of millions in compensation for mistakes made by ANZ and ASB. The Government wants to ensure lenders are not disproportionately punished if they fail to disclose all the right information about a product to their customers. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains...