'Little weight' given to figures
'Little weight' given to figures
House sales rose sharply in February, reflecting the usual bounce after the holiday period, but ASB economist Jane Turner warned not to read too much into the latest figures.
Dene Mackenzie
More responses to survey as confidence falls
More responses to survey as confidence falls
Business confidence remains low but there are encouraging signs that the worst of the residential real-estate slump is over, the latest BNZ confidence survey shows.
Bank of England cuts, eases
Bank of England cuts, eases
Listed banks are back in the spotlight after the Bank of England cut its central lending rate to 0.5% and began a further easing programme through "printing" around 75 billion ($NZ213 billion) to purchase bonds from high street banks.
Private equity funds proving popular
Private equity funds proving popular
Private equity funds have proved popular with investors, with Direct Capital and ABN Amro Craigs raising $82.5 million for their Pohutukawa II fund, including $22.5 million of oversubscriptions.
Housing sector squeezed as prices keep falling
Housing sector squeezed as prices keep falling
The housing sector is expected to remain under considerable pressure despite the dramatic drop in interest rates, ASB economist Jane Turner says.
A menu for staying on top
A menu for staying on top
Consistency, communication and attention to detail are the main ingredients to surviving any economic downturn, Dunedin restaurateur Stephen Hannagan says.
OCR cut might not be enough
OCR cut might not be enough
The Reserve Bank will cut its official cash rate on Thursday but economists are saying that a low interest rate might not be enough to save the New Zealand economy.
Owners less keen to sell, business survey finds
Owners less keen to sell, business survey finds
Business owners are becoming more reluctant to sell as the economic crisis continues in New Zealand, the ASB succession planning monitor has found.
Accounts closer to forecasts
Accounts closer to forecasts
Treasury seems to be getting closer to forecasting the state of the Government accounts after being woefully inaccurate throughout most of last year and early this year as the global economic crisis deepened.
Good business relations key in drive to survive
Good business relations key in drive to survive
As the economic crisis deepens, smaller businesses are finding it harder to survive. Business Editor Dene Mackenzie talked to a selection of advisers about survival tips.
New car sales dip as prices climb
New car sales dip as prices climb
New car sales tumbled last month in New Zealand but this country was not out of step with others around the world as sharemarket crashes and the global financial crisis takes its toll.
Business heads buoyed after summit
Business heads buoyed after summit
Silver Fern Farms chief executive Keith Cooper came away from the Jobs Summit in Auckland yesterday positive about the Government's commitment to helping businesses survive a recession.
Jade defies global recession
Jade defies global recession
Jade Software Corporation continued to defy the world recession, performing strongly in the year ended December 31.
Finance minister blames Labour for $ 1.5b ACC funding shortfall
Finance minister blames Labour for $ 1.5b ACC funding shortfall
Treasury has taken responsibility for a $1.5 billion funding shortfall in ACC but Finance Minister Bill English is laying the blame firmly at the feet of the previous Labour administration.
Investment picked to rapidly shrink
Investment picked to rapidly shrink
Business investment was expected to contract sharply in the near-term, according to a special Treasury report released yesterday.
`Investment made sense'
`Investment made sense'
Spending $115 million on new carriages and locomotives for KiwiRail was the first rail infrastructure spending to be approved that made sense, Infrastructure Minister Bill English said last night.
Mascot clients will get money back
Mascot clients will get money back
Mascot Finance was yesterday placed in receivership but customers will get all of their money back as the company is covered by the Crown's deposit guarantee scheme.
Bail-outs - too much,too little, too late?
Bail-outs - too much,too little, too late?
Just how much is enough? As the zeros multiply in the global bail-out packets designed to fend off a global recession, Forsyth Barr broker Ken Lister believes that should be a question everyone should be asking.
Forces gather against Microsoft
Forces gather against Microsoft
The developments on the web have been flowing thick and fast in recent weeks, sometimes making it difficult to track who is suing who and who is paying.
Caution sees fall in SCF profit
Caution sees fall in SCF profit
South Canterbury Finance had taken a conservative stance on its lending, using the six months ended December to consolidate and build a platform for future business, chief executive Lachie McLeod said.