Card spending stalls; dearer petrol crowds out other goods
By Paul McBeth | Mon, 11 Nov 2019
Spending on credit and debit cards fell for the first time in four months, with dearer petrol prices in October blamed for soaking up more of people's pay packets. Statistics New Zealand figures s...
Corporate earnings beat expectations as US stocks hit fresh records
By Jenny Ruth | Mon, 11 Nov 2019
Those in awe of global sharemarkets moving back into record highs may be somewhat reassured that, with 90 percent of S&P 500 companies having reported their September-quarter results, earnings are...
China tariff cuts a 'foot in the door' for NZ paper, packaging
By Gavin Evans | Tue, 05 Nov 2019
A phased tariff reduction for a range of paper and packaging products is an extra “foot in the door” into the Chinese market for those products, the country’s wood processors say.An upgrade to New Zea...
Fiscal pros and cons of baby boomers
By Jenny Ruth | Fri, 01 Nov 2019
Baby boomers are usually considered a huge fiscal problem as they retire and start drawing ever more superannuation and health spending just as the working-age population available to support them dwi...
Business confidence improved in October but remains mired in gloom
By Rebecca Howard | Thu, 31 Oct 2019
Business confidence improved in October but remains deeply negative and firms' optimism about their own activity continues to fall. A net 42.4 percent of the 412 respondents surveyed by ANZ Bank ex...
Lumpy tax take pushes govt accounts into red in first quarter
By Paul McBeth | Thu, 31 Oct 2019
A lumpy tax take pushed the government's accounts into the red in the September quarter as the Inland Revenue Department's new systems meant some revenue was recognised earlier than anticipated. ...