The SME Stream

The Government is looking to crack down on merger rules. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is reviewing the Commerce Act - which could lead to blocking more proposed mergers and acquisitions.  It's also hoping to give the Commerce Commission more teeth. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayley says they're making sure the laws are fit for purpose. "We've got a number...

Dairy giant Fonterra has raised its forecast milk price payout to a midpoint of $10 - the second rise in less than a month. The company says this new forecast reflects strong international demand, particularly from China and Southeast Asia. Fonterra's CFO Andrew Murray says this news has been received positively by farmers. "US production is very flat and European production is down - so the deman...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina Shrimpton each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact on your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice. In this weekly wrap, we chat about the impact the latest OCR announcement is having on mortgage rates, we unpack the latest reta...

Steve Vamos' career in tech has spanned decades, starting with IBM straight out of university in the 1980’s, followed by stints at Apple, NineMSN, Microsoft, and Xero. He says that connecting with people and being open to criticism are key skills for leaders navigating through times of major change. Vamos also shares more specific advice on navigating change, having hard conversations, and the imp...

[VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY] The country’s largest gateway is replacing its 60-year-old domestic jet terminal. Is it an infrastructure play or a real economic boost? The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable fo...

Charities are going to be seeing some changes to their taxes from next year.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that there will be tweaks to the charity tax regime, but she is mindful of striking the right balance.  They want to ensure that people can’t structure their affairs as charities while building up funds that aren’t used for charitable purposes.  Best Start and Sanitarium were...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is promising tax changes ahead for charities and the closing of loopholes, and the details of that will be announced in next year's budget. And not before time, you'd have to say.   There's about $2 billion, it's estimated, in untaxed profit in the charitable sector, and politicians of varying hues have been eyeing up that revenue potential for some time. I think bot...

It hasn't been a great year for the NZX, but one expert believes things are in place for a better 2025. The reduced interest rates could lead to a better outlook for investors going forward, according to new reports. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey explains further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opin...

Energy Resources Aotearoa says gas producers were severely damaged by the previous ban on oil and gas exploration.  It's asked the Government to underwrite the risk of oil and gas exploration.  Government ministers say they've made no decisions.  Energy Resources Aotearoa chief executive John Carnegie says it would only protect the sector from pernicious future policy changes.  "Oil and gas explor...

One expert has offered a theory about why SolarZero met the end that it did. The Kiwi-founded solar and battery firm was placed into liquidation - costing over 160 employees their jobs. Lightforce Solar owner John Harman says SolarZero offered an 'amazing' deal for consumers - but economic factors have created additional trouble for the sector.  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain ...

President-elect Donald Trump's latest policy announcements continue to have an impact on capital markets. Trump's pick of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary sent long-term Government bond yields lower and the US share market higher - as investors felt more confident in a 'seasoned' choice taking on the role. However, his threated tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico created a divided response amon...

Mortgage holders have been hoping the banks will pass on the latest 50 basis point cut to the OCR - but many will have to wait. New Zealand's major banks have all cut their floating rates, but only ASB's fixed-term mortgage rate has moved down so far. Mortgage advisor Bruce Patton says the banks had largely predicted the OCR would drop by 50 basis points - and priced their earlier cuts accordingly...

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has cut the OCR by 50 basis points in the final announcement of the year.  Many are of the mindset that it's low enough to fix for a longer term - but that may not be the case.  Experts say even though the cuts are looking good, banks aren't fully reflecting them in mortgage rates.  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not fi...

Cautious optimism from the meat sector as it braces for the impact of a US presidency change. Donald Trump's campaigned on tariffs of up to 20 percent on all imports, with higher tariffs for imports from China. Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton says they're still unsure if New Zealand will actually be affected. He told Ryan Bridge the tariffs will focus on nations which have a trade im...

The Reserve Bank moved to cut the OCR by 50 basis points in its final decision for 2024. New Zealand's biggest banks have adjusted their floating rates accordingly - but no significant cuts have been reported yet.  NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any op...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina Shrimpton each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact on your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice. In this weekly wrap, we unpack all the reaction and predictions from the recent OCR cut, the latest retail trade survey numbers...

There's questions over what will come next for the OCR after today's 50 basis point cut. The Reserve Bank has hinted more cuts will come in the new year. However, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen has warned this might not be the right approach. "A lot of economic forecasters are wondering - when do we get back to those more normal and considered steps, given that the economy is already s...

The US economy is just humming along at the moment, isn't it? 2.8% is their lucky number this morning. 2.8% annualised GDP for the September quarter. Better than the Eurozone, better than the UK, and much better than New Zealand.  We're still going backwards. We went balls to the wall with interest rate hikes post Covid and we were the first to do it. Adrian Orr and the Reserve Bank held higher fo...

The Finance Minister's playing down expectations of a surplus, ahead of Treasury's opening of the books next month.  The Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate by half a percent, to 4.25 -- warning of slower economic growth.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge the OCR cut is welcome news, but agrees there is still more to do.  "Of course, we want to see the economy growing faster, th...

Homeowners can expect some relief - as the Reserve Bank cuts the OCR down in its final update of the year. The central bank has slashed the rate 50 basis points today - to sit on 4.25 percent. It's now forecasting 4.1 percent by March next year, 3.6 percent by the end of next year, with an endpoint of 3.1 percent by March 2027. ZB political correspondent Barry Soper says Governor Adrian Orr has wa...

It’s a tale of two economies, for now.  The Reserve Bank is forecasting more OCR cuts next year, sooner than previously expected, after yesterday's 50-basis point cut to 4.25%.  But Governor Adrian Orr says growth remains weak globally.  Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking there are green shoots in the economy, but they're confined to specific sectors like commercial property, d...

The Reserve Bank remains concerned about domestic inflation as it points to more OCR cuts next year following the latest 50 basis point cut.  Inflation is now at 2.2%, with weak global demand pushing tradeable inflation down to -1.6%.  But non-tradeable inflation —things like insurance, rates, power and rents— remains at 4.9%.  Reserve Bank Assistant Governor Karen Silk told Mike Hosking that need...

The Labour leader says New Zealand needs an honest conversation about paying for its future.   Our newsroom understands party delegates will vote on whether to support a capital gains or wealth tax at its annual conference this weekend.   Chris Hipkins says about 70% of government tax revenue comes from personal income taxes - while the OECD average is half as much.  He told Kerre Woodham that's b...

The Reserve Bank is set to make its final decision for the Official Cash Rate for the year tomorrow afternoon.  The general consensus among experts is that the OCR will be cut by at least 50 basis points. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says the Reserve Bank needs to strike the right balance for the economy. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financ...

President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to hit Mexico, Canada and China with new tariffs as soon as he takes office. In a post on social media, Trump promised to charge Mexico and Canada an additional 25 percent tariff on all products they send to the US - and an additional 10 percent tariff will be placed on Chinese goods. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says these trade changes co...