The SME Stream

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 The podcasts in the SME S...

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. "Tr...

I saw a brilliant cartoon the other day which had America’s founding fathers sitting around a table writing up the country’s constitution - and they had agreed that the US wouldn’t have a king, but they were thinking about having a drama queen instead.   And after what we saw overnight, I think it would be pretty hard to argue that the current US president is anything but a...

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...

The Reserve Bank's keeping a watchful eye on global trade developments.  It's lowered the Official Cash Rate by 25-basis points to 3.5%, with another cut expected next month.  But it's still waiting to see how trade barriers affect inflation before deciding what to do after that.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Andrew Dickens the central bank is right to take a wait...

Donald Trump's turning up the heat on China but throwing a tariff lifeline to most others.  He's authorised a 90-day pause which will see tariffs dropped to 10% for many countries.   However, China's rate has been increased from 104% to 125%.  Eric Crampton —Chief Economist at New Zealand Initiative— told Mike Hosking it's a rapidly changing situation.  He says it&r...

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 The podcasts in the&nbsp...

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. This week, the Official Cash Rate and Trump's tariffs are dominating headlines - there’s good news for mortgage holders, b...

Microsoft is marking its 50th anniversary, celebrating five decades since Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded what would become one of the world's largest technology companies.  In this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, the managing director of Microsoft New Zealand, Vanessa Sorenson, reflects on the company's journey and its vision for the future.  Featuring the hits and misse...

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Jack Tame from Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, and Labour is advocating for Government to step up and do its bit by spending more. Is there really a case for this? UOA researchers found that higher EV uptake has actually been linked...

Donald Trump says the changes to his tariff policy show he's flexible.   He's put a 90-day pause on additional tariffs and lowered tariffs on all countries to 10% – except China.   Instead, Trump hiked China's rate from 104% to 125%.   He's thanked Americans for bearing with him and promised better days are coming.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking things...

Labour's finance spokesperson has accused the Government of 'sitting on its hands' amid an economically turbulent week for the world. Barbara Edmonds has criticised Nicola Willis' response to Donald Trump's tariffs - and accused her of 'complacency' as Kiwis express concerns over their jobs and mortgages. She says the Government needs to look inward and come up with a solution that benefits New Ze...

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...

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 The podcasts in the SME Stream conta...

Make way for the first guest of 'Bored to Boss' Season 2! Grab your Suntory Boss Coffee - It's brewed hot, chilled fast and perfect for an on-the-go podcast listen. In Episode 2, Georgia chats to Kristy, the creative powerhouse behind Pink Pony Creative. Kristy shares her journey of how she transitioned from a passion project to a full-fledged business, offering valuable insights on staying releva...

Kiwis are being urged to stay calm and stay the course as stock markets tumble.  There’s global uncertainty off the back of Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, and investment funds like KiwiSaver have been taking a hit.  Mortgage brokers have been facing concerns from first-home buyers, wondering what to do about the slump in their balance as they look to purchase.   Person...

A former Finance Minister says New Zealand faces uncharted territory - as the world grapples with Donald Trump's tariffs.  New Zealand, Australian and Asian markets tumbled yesterday, but regained some ground today. Current Minister Nicola Willis is warning the tariffs and world events will impact the Government books.  Steven Joyce says given the daily uncertainty which will slow invest...

Economists are seemingly aligned on where they think today's Official Cash Rate figure will land.  The Reserve Bank's expected to cut the OCR by 25 basis points, down from 3.75 percent.  It's the first rate decision since Governor Adrian Orr's resignation.   Jarden Economist and Investment Strategist, John Carran told Andrew Dickens there's been a lot of uncertainty in markets from...

 [VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY]  Energy developers are investing hundreds of millions into industrial-scale solar. This episode takes you behind one of the biggest projects underway 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, o...

Donald Trump’s Liberation Day has felt more like a bloodbath for the world economy. The US President last week announced what he called reciprocal tariffs on almost every country on Earth – as well as some islands uninhabited by human life. New Zealand was not as impacted as most – with just a10 percent tariff on our goods imported into the US – but the European Union has h...

The Finance Minister has been getting updates about the financial fallout from the latest batch of Trump tariffs. New Zealand goods have been hit with a 10 percent tariff, as part of President Trump's trade plan.  Nicola Willis warns these changes will come with 'profound' economic implications for New Zealand. "We will finalise our economic forecasts, which feed into the Budget - in the next...

Christopher Luxon says he has no regrets about the Treaty Principles Bill. Parliament's Justice Committee has recommended the bill not proceed when it returns to the House, after public submissions were overwhelmingly opposed to it. The Prime Minister says it's time for the debate to end. He told Mike Hosking allowing the bill to proceed to committee stage, but refusing to support it any further,...

The NZX50 index had fallen about 3.7 percent at the close of market today - as Donald Trump's tariffs continue to reverberate globally. It hasn't had a fall of this magnitude since the pandemic. Sharesies Co-CEO Brooke Roberts says it's hard to say how long markets will keep rattling around. "Look, it's unprecedented times in terms of the shock that has happened to the markets at the moment based...

The stock market has seen the biggest daily fall since the Covid-19 period, as a result of Donald Trump's tariffs announced last week.  Beijing responded with its own retaliatory tariffs, which caused the S&P 500 to fall another 6%.  Craigs Investment Partners Director Mark Lister says it's a historic fall.  "It's pretty rare for things to fall as much as that in a two-day perio...

The NZX50 index had fallen around 3.7 percent at the close of market today as Donald Trump's tariffs continue to reverberate globally. It hasn't had a fall of this magnitude since the pandemic. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly unpacks the economic fallout. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. A...