Dene Mackenzie

The new car market in Dunedin has been ''very buoyant'' as aggressive manufacturers compete for business, car dealer Stephen Duff says.

The Otago and Canterbury regions drove new dwellings growth in November, figures released by Statistics New Zealand yesterday showed.

Jevic NZ Ltd yesterday formalised its cash offer for the shares of Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (Vinz) it does not own at $1.65 a share.

Trading on the NZX's cash markets rose by more than 24% in December but brokers are also reporting a strong start to 2013 as investors continue to look for income from their money.

Otago Daily Times technology editor Dene Mackenzie has sourced an opportunity for five lucky Summer Times readers to upscale their computer protection.

Telecommunications stands out as offering the greatest opportunities for share purchases this year, Morningstar head of equities Andrew Doherty says.

Forecasting the direction of shares, currencies and interest rates is very difficult to do, especially with any accuracy or consistency. But with nine out of 10 predictions coming true in 2012, Craigs Investment Partners did well. Business editor Dene Mackenzie talks to Craigs adviser Greg Easton about the predictions for this year.

This year is likely to remain a sellers' market for real estate, according to realestate.co.nz figures released yesterday. The new year has started with even fewer properties for sale, but with an easing in asking prices.

Business owners should be relishing the thought of returning to work, given that New Zealand business confidence is well up on last year, according to the Grant Thornton IBR survey.

Solving the United States national debt-ceiling problem is the next major hurdle for a divided Congress to battle over this year, and President Barack Obama appears in no mood to give any ground to his Republican rivals.

More investors are expected to pile into shares this year as returns from fixed-interest investments remain low.

With 2013 arriving tomorrow, business editor Dene Mackenzie asked Forsyth Barr and Craigs Investment Partners brokers for their top share picks for the coming year.

Otago Daily Times technology editor Dene Mackenzie has sourced the king of printers and a snazzy new cellphone to give away to two lucky Summer Times readers.

Only a small glimmer of hope remains that the United States economy will not topple over the so-called ''fiscal cliff'' in the early hours of January 1.

Risk assets, not safe havens, hold the key to real returns in a yield-starved world, according to Seattle-based Russell Investments.

Hellaby Holdings has made its first major purchase as the company seeks to generate more of its income from offshore.

Oceana Gold's production guidance is encouraging in that it shows its cash costs are falling, Forsyth Barr broker Peter Young says.