Dene Mackenzie

The aged-care sector has secured a 1.8% funding increase for the next 12 months, well above recent annual increases, Forsyth Barr broker Lyn Howe says.

Favourable hydro conditions in New Zealand and Australia, along with a full-year contribution from King Country Energy, helped Trustpower lift its operating profit in the year ended March.

New Zealand's service sector experienced a sudden drop in activity levels in April, according to the BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance in Services Index.

Strong retail sales in March were underpinned by increased spending on food and electronics, as well as large increases in car sales.

The prospect of rising house prices and higher interest rates seems to be causing some people to rethink whether this is a good time to buy a house.

Extending comprehensive school-based health services to all public secondary schools will benefit hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders, Labour deputy leader Jacinda Ardern says.

The median house price across Otago rose $43,000, or 13%, in the year to April to reach a  record high  $381,000 but the new figures should be treated cautiously.

Tilt Renewables reported a 1% fall in operating profit to $A124million ($NZ134million) for the year ended March but will pay a final unfranked dividend of A2.25c a share.

April's lift in retail spending was good news for retailers, but it was important to put the result into context, Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said  this week.

Cloud-based accounting software firm Xero is becoming increasingly efficient in the way it grows, Craigs Investment Partners broker Peter McIntyre said yesterday. The company’s revenue growth was...

The Reserve Bank left economists scratching their heads yesterday,  not because of the decision to leave the official cash rate unchanged but because of the benign view of the economy.

The black line in the Crown accounts will give Finance Minister Steven Joyce some comfort as he prepares to release his first Budget on May 25.

TPG Consortium's indicative $A1.20 to $A1.25 a share proposal to acquire Fairfax Media is pitched at a substantial premium to Morningstar's assessment for the group.

Westpac New Zealand has followed the lead of two of its competitors by reporting yesterday an improved cash profit for the six months ended March 31.

Fairfax Media has confirmed it has received an unsolicited proposal to split up its assets but says the bid might not be in the best interests of shareholders.

Dene Mackenzie wraps up recent pulp fiction.

A win in the French elections today ( NZ time) by Emmanuel Macron will be a market-friendly outcome, Craigs Investment Partners broker says.

The tone of the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Statement on Thursday will be the most important part of the announcement, economists say.

New Zealand’s strong economy was delivering benefits and challenges to the Bank of New Zealand, chief executive Anthony Healy said yesterday.