Best of Business

The election result looks to have lit a fire under the property market. Real estate agents in Wellington say business has picked up since the 'blue wave' crashed through. National and ACT have both promised to phase in interest deductibility for landlords and make it easier for banks to lend money. City Sales sales manager Scott Dunn says people saw a change of Government coming. He says Auckland'...

A small business advocate says companies are still feeling the pinch despite lowering inflation.   The inflation rate in the year to September was 5.6%, lower than the 6% in the year to June.   Small Business Voice NZ Chief Executive Max Whitehead says while he's optimistic for the future, that lower rate isn't being reflected in many's experience.   He told Kate Hawkesby that there isn't the conf...

There's signs inflation in New Zealand may have passed its peak. New figures show inflation rose 5.6 percent in the year to September, down from six percent in the year to June. It's better than expected by banks and economists. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says these figures are encouraging- but inflation is still running very high, so caution should be applied. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Belief New Zealand's winning the war on inflation. Figures out today show annual inflation rose 5.6 percent in the year to September, down from 6 percent in the year to June. Kiwibank Senior Economist, Jarrod Kerr, says it's great some pressures are finally easing. "There's some frustrations in there, with petrol and a few other bits and pieces, but when we look at the broad basket of goods and se...

Sky TV has announced a mystery party wants to make a highly confidential offer to buy it. It comes after Sky’s own economic headwinds, with its full-year profit falling 18 percent to $51 million, and revenue rising 2 percent to $754 million. It also announced an on-market share buyback programme earlier this year, which was paused prior to the release of its full-year results. Business commentator...

Fletcher Building's dismissing claims from west Australian builder BGC about problems caused by its Iplex Pro-fit pipes. Fletcher has doubled down on its belief installation issues with the pipes causes them to leak in some 15,000 Perth homes. BGC alleges the pipes are the issue and says fixes will cost an estimated $1.92 billion dollars. Fletcher CEO Ross Taylor told Heather du Plessis-Allan they...

An expert warns the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict comes with ramifications for investors. The death toll on both Palestinian and Israeli sides has reached nearly 2500 in total, with 338,000 in Gaza displaced. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds says the impact of this tragedy can be weighed against the economic complications surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Sheep and beef farm profit margins are expected to fall a further 30 percent, according to Beef + Lamb NZ's Season Outlook. This lower profitability comes at a time where farmers are already struggling to rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and prepare for dry conditions ahead of El Niño, painting a grim picture in experts' eyes. The Country's Jamie Mackay says there's further downsides to this negativ...

Signs food price inflation may be turning a corner and cooling down. Stats NZ data shows food prices are 8 percent higher for the year to September- but it's also the lowest since July 2022. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says this inflation cooldown is to be expected after months of increased food prices. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pressure is mounting as Fletcher Building tries to work their way through an ongoing trading halt. The building company is trying to work out a possible solution in relation to plumbing failures occurring in Western Australia. Australian firm BGC says these issues with Fletcher subsidiary Iplex will cost the company over $1.8 billion to fix. BusinessDesk's Victoria Young says Fletcher has maintain...

German sandal company Birkenstock experienced a disappointing debut after landing on the New York Stock exchange. The brand experienced a meteoric rise in popularity over the past decade, selling over 30 million pairs in 2022 alone. Birkenstock priced its initial public offering at $46 a share- but the share prices quickly fell 12.6 percent and closed at $40.20. Stake Chief Marketing Officer Bryan...

The question is being asked- should salaries be made public? Kiwi start-up company Tracksuit is doing just that, introducing pay transparency across its entire 51-person staff. People lead Christine van Hoffen says while it can be uncomfortable at first, it's had positive effects on the team. Employment expert Max Whitehead says pay transparency allows room for trouble. "It becomes this resentment...

Net migration has reached a new record high. Stats NZ says in the year to August, 110,000 more people moved to New Zealand than left. Arrivals reached an all-time high of 225,000, and migrant departures got to 115,000. Milford Asset Management's Frances Sweetman explains why this new wave of migrant workers are drawn to New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taxes - and tax cuts - have turned into a political football this election. Changing income tax rates is high on the agendas of most political parties, with National and ACT promising adjustments and the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and TOP calling for progress. What would this mean for voters? NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny breaks down these proposed policies. LISTEN ABOVE   See o...

A company is moving marketing to a new level by trying to use the power of everyday Kiwis. Social media business TheSalt is entering the New Zealand market by paying users to post about specific brands, including McDonald's and Netflix- paying a starting $50 per post. Co-Founder in New Zealand, Shane Moore, says using genuine locals is a good marketing technique. "It's all about community and conn...

Provincial areas in New Zealand are feeling the impacts as growing numbers of Kiwis jet off overseas. Stats NZ says in the year to August, 110,000 more people moved to New Zealand than left. Arrivals reached an all-time high of 225,000, with 115,000 migrant departures. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says migrants often move to the main cities- but New Zealanders are leaving from all ov...

National's Chris Luxon has promised to double the value of exports in 10 years, if elected. The party also vowed to pursue Free Trade Agreements, pump up our trade missions, and prioritise increasing trade with India. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie isn't too confident about National's proposal. "The fact is, New Zealand's export performance unfortunately hasn't changed very much in...

Chris Luxon is promising to double the value of New Zealand's exports in 10 years, if elected. National's also vowing to pursue Free Trade Agreements, pump up our trade missions and prioritise increasing trade with India. National trade and export spokesperson Todd McClay says the UAE is interested in doing an exclusive trade deal with New Zealand. "For the first time in a long time, they want the...

Fonterra's luck seems to have turned around, as they announced a positive revised forecast. The dairy co-op has lifts its farmgate milk price- with the midpoint up 50 cents, to $7.25 per kilogram of milk solids. Dairy Insights Consultant Stuart Davison says stronger demand from China is the driving force behind this outlook- but it's unclear how sustainable this demand is. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystu...

Devon Funds Management market commentator Greg Smith says people are keeping a close eye on oil prices as the conflict in Israel and Palestine unfolds. He says the two aren't major oil players, but they're in a big oil producing region. Smith says the key will be whether there is any escalation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Deputy Leader Nicola Willis is defending the party warning of a second election. The party has ramped up efforts to keep New Zealand First out of the mix - warning there's a growing possibility National wouldn't be able to get a deal done. Willis told Kate Hawkesby there's always a risk they won't get enough support. She says a lot of people already believe there's going to be a change...

More Kiwi retailers are drawn towards facial recognition technology, as crime continues to surge. A recent Retail NZ report shows the sector has suffered over $2.5 billion in losses in the past year, and 92 percent of retailers have been the victim of a crime. Dentons Kensington Swan lawyer Campbell Featherstone says it's important for Kiwi retailers to take a coordinated approach with this techno...

Asia business correspondent Peter Lewis talked to Heather about the high costs of owning a car in Singapore, China hopes Golden Week Holiday will deliver an economic boost, and Asia facing one of the worst economic outlooks in half a century.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's official cash rate has stayed in place at 5.5 for the last four months- yet several banks have hiked their mortgage rates. Anyone who has re-fixed a mortgage in the past few months has felt the sting of increased rates ticking upwards. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says these hikes are proof New Zealand is at the mercy of international market forces, namely the US and...

Independent milk processor Tatua has announced a record-shattering payout for their farmer-shareholders. The company has paid out $12.30/kgMS for milk supplied last season, beating out last year's $11.30/kgMS. Tatua chief executive Brendhan Greaney says the company's had an odd start to the year, with fluctuating commodity ingredient prices having an impact on their overall earnings. LISTEN ABOVE...