Shows / Best of Business
Best of Business
Best of Business is the home of all things business at Newstalk ZB, from morning market updates right through to incisive interviews with New Zealand’s top business leaders and decision makers.
Whether you’re a small business owner or interested in what’s going on in the Big End of Town, this podcast encompasses the sharpest voices and minds in the world of business.
Episodes
- Best of Business
Azaria Howell: Senior Political Reporter discusses Luxon at the ASEAN summitt.
The Prime Minister's met with various South East Asian leaders but missed out speaking with US President Donald Trump, as he attends talks in Malaysia. Chris…
- Best of Business
Nick Tuffley: ASB Chief Economist says New Zealand's economy could benefit from Fonterra sale
New Zealand's economy could look to benefit from Fonterra’s proposed sale. The proposed sale of Anchor and Mainland brands to French company Lactalis could…
- Best of Business
Jamie Mackay: The Country host on the weather impacting the South Island
MetService says the strong winds that battered the South Island and lower North are now easing - but there are still a few things to keep an eye on. Red wind…
- Best of Business
Michael Kobori: former Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer on why being 'woke' is good for businesses
More and more businesses are rolling back sustainability initiatives and DEI requirements, but one expert says it still pays to be progressive. The Net Zero…
- Best of Business
James Jordan: Housies co-founder on the new investment platform designed to get people on the property ladder
Kiwis will be able to buy a share in a house for as little as $100 with a new investment platform launched today that promises to break down the barriers to…
- Best of Business
Joy Keene: Game Developers Association Executive Director discusses rebate expansion to games industry.
Labour plans to expand rebate for game development industry. Labour says that, if re-elected, they will expand the game development rebate, which gives Kiwi…
- Best of Business
Jenee Tibshraeny: NZ Herald Wellington business editor on the Government changing climate disclosure rules for big companies
The Government is more than halving the number of entities that need to make climate-related disclosures. It has proposed to only require listed issuers with…
- Best of Business
Andrew Curtayne: Milford Asset Management expert on whether we're in an AI bubble
More financial experts have raised concerns about an AI bubble - and what it could mean for the wider economy. Multiple AI companies are attracting the…
- Best of Business
Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is our climate overhype coming to an end?
There's yet another, frankly welcome, sign that the world's climate overhype may be over, or at least correcting. The latest is that the Government has…
- Best of Business
Oliver Mander: NZ Shareholders Association spokesperson on Air NZ downgrading earnings expectations
Air New Zealand says it now expects to make a first-half loss of about $30 million to $55 million, before tax. It's just provided a trading update to the NZX…
- Best of Business
Sam Vye: Syos CEO on the company acquiring Bay Dynamics
A Kiwi company is investing in drone boats able to be used for defence - on home shores and beyond. Robotics company Syos has acquired Tauranga business Bay…
- Best of Business
Greg Wallace: Master Plumbers CEO reveals whether it's worth ditching gas for electricity
With gas prices going up all over the country, there's debate over whether households should make the switch to electricity. Contact Energy recently revealed…
- Best of Business
Dr. Claire Matthews: Associate professor's new report says Kiwisaver can be great for retirement, if used correctly
A new report reveals the importance of contributing to Kiwisaver after buying a first home. The Retirement Expenditure Guidelines from Massey University and…
- Best of Business
Jeff Grant: Spokesperson for Alliance shareholders discusses deal with Irish-backed Dawn Meats.
Alliance has reached a $270million deal with Dawn Meats. 2,600 farmer-shareholders voted 87% in favour of selling 65% of the company arm to the Irish-backed…
- Best of Business
Jamie Mackay: The Country host on Alliance Group voting for the Dawn Meats deal
Partially selling one of New Zealand's largest meat companies should give it much-needed capital, according to some. Farmer shareholders of Alliance Group…
- Best of Business
Paul Spain: tech commentator on the economic impacts of the Amazon outage
Problems with Amazon's cloud services in the US have been felt around the world. Thousands of websites and apps were affected by an outage during the night…
- Best of Business
Hugh Goddard: Pipeline & Civil Ltd owner on the increase in road rage at traffic stops
A survey of roadworkers has found many face routine abuse, attacks, and some are even purposely hit by cars, according to new reports. The survey, which was…
- Best of Business
Antonia Watson: ANZ Chief Executive on the multi-million dollar class action set to be launched against the bank
A multi-million-dollar class action against ANZ New Zealand over historic disclosure obligations looks likely to go ahead. ASB earlier this month settled its…
- Best of Business
Shane Solly: Harbour Asset Management expert on the market response to the inflation data
Recent Stats NZ data shows annual inflation hit three percent in September - the upper limit of the Reserve Bank's target range. This has sparked mixed…
- Best of Business
Jarrod Kerr: Kiwibank chief economist on whether inflation is set to go down following recent stats
There's belief from some economists that inflation's peaked, and it's all downhill from here. It reached 3 percent in the year to September - up from 2.2…
- Best of Business
Liam Dann: New Zealand Herald Business Editor-at-large discusses annual inflation peak
Annual inflation has risen to a 15-month high of 3%. Economists had been expecting inflation to reach or surpass the 3% upper limit of the Reserve Bank's…
- Best of Business
Kelly Eckhold: Westpac Chief Economist challenges the Reserve Bank's cuts to the Official Cash Rate
Another spike in inflation won't stop the Reserve Bank from cutting the Official Cash Rate again next month. Stats NZ is providing its latest quarterly CPI…
- Best of Business
Shane Jones: Resource minister attempts to attract mining companies, says he won't surrender to 'woke-ism'
Shane Jones is determined to use his voice to attract mining investors to our shores - no matter the next election outcome. The Resources Minister and…
- Best of Business
Mel Turner: Screen NZ International executive chair on the new organisation designed to boost NZ screen industry
Several Kiwi industry leaders and screen businesses have teamed up to officially launch Screen NZ International, an industry body designed to boost New…
- Best of Business
Ed McKnight: Think about money in decades, not days
Most people think about money in terms of days. Wealthy people think about money in decades. Here's how to think about money differently: Based on this…
- Best of Business
Dr Parmjeet Parmar: ACT proposes to keep credit card surcharges
In July the Government announced a ban on surcharges on credit card payments in-store from May 2026 at the latest. ACT is attempting to block this ban by…
- Best of Business
Gareth Kiernan: Infometrics Chief Forecaster warns of risk to rise in inflation
There are fears that inflation could come back into the picture as the OCR falls. Infometrics expects the OCR to fall to 2.25% next month - it's 2.5% at the…
- Best of Business
Cameron Bagrie: Independent economist comments on interest rate cuts
An argument has been made that the government has ‘overdone it’ with interest rate cuts. Economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge that the Reserve Bank has a…
- Best of Business
Sam Dickie: Fisher Funds expert on Amazon's strategy for taking on the grocery market
Amazon has been scaling up its same-day grocery delivery services across cities all over the US. It's looking to expand to 2,300 US cities by the end of the…
- Best of Business
Dion Tilson: Parakai Springs general manager on GrabOne going into liquidation
There's no guarantee businesses will honour unredeemed vouchers from GrabOne, which has gone into liquidation. The online deals website won’t be issuing…
- Best of Business
Jeremy O'Brien: Air New Zealand's Chief customer and digital officer blames accelerated inflation for increase in prices
It's thought that the aviation sector is over capitalising - as New Zealand's domestic airfares have shot up more quickly than any other country. A global…
- Best of Business
Billie Moore: NZ Airport Association Chief Executive says Airports Association is not to blame for increase in fare prices
The Airports Association is defending itself after airlines blame their charges, for spikes in airfares. An international airport group says New Zealand’s…
- Best of Business
Jenee Tibshraeny: NZ Herald Wellington business editor on the Reserve Bank revealing Covid spending didn't contribute to inflation issues
The Reserve Bank recently disputed the idea that Covid-era money printing programme caused sky-high inflation, which cost the Government billions. Staff at the…
- Best of Business
Leela Ashford: Spark Sustainability Director on the company blocking all AI-generated child sexual abuse images
Spark's becoming the first New Zealand telco to block all child sexual abuse images made with artificial intelligence. It already stops access to…
- Best of Business
Mark Leslie: Pāmu CEO on the launch of new dairy-beef crossbreed cows
Mooove over dairy and beef cows, for a new hybrid breed on the block. Pāmu and Livestock Improvement Corporation have created a new cattle breed - called the…
- Best of Business
Marisa Bidois: Restaurant Association CEO on the hospitality sector's record high revenue but low profit margins
Revenue in the hospitality sector's reached a new record high, but many operators are seeing profit margins reach a new record low. Restaurant Association data…
- Best of Business
Paul Bloxham: HSBC chief economist on reports claiming the RBA won't cut interest rates til 2026
New reports indicate the Reserve Bank of Australia won't be cutting interest rates until at least February 2026. Employment remains high and inflation is still…
- Best of Business
Mike Williams: Air New Zealand Chief Transformation and Alliances Officer on the airline's new deal with Air Chathams
Air New Zealand's teamed up with Air Chathams on a new partnership for Whakatane. It'll mean customers can book single-ticket trips that combine domestic…
- Best of Business
Roger Beaumont: Banking Association CEO on the upcoming changes set to impact first home buyers
Changes to lending restrictions are on the cards. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is welcoming the Reserve Bank consulting with banks on easing loan to value…
- Best of Business
Shane Solly: Harbour Asset Management expert on Fletcher Building posting a 'gloomy' quarterly update
Fletcher Building's issued a gloomy trading update, marked with trading slumps, market falls and low sales volumes. The company's now aiming for a further $100…
- Best of Business
Tony Morris: Inland Revenue spokesperson on the IRD taking money from people's bank accounts
The IRD is set to be cracking down harder on those who don't pay their taxes properly, and they've unveiled new measures for people who ignore correspondence…
- Best of Business
Peter Lewis: Asia business correspondent discusses unemployment rates in China
China’s hotels are taking a hit, as a struggling economy hurts domestic spending. China’s economy has been in decline for the past 4 years, and now budget…
- Best of Business
Sam Dickie: Fisher Funds expert on the growing concerns surrounding AI investments
Artificial intelligence technology continues to attract attention from investors, but there's growing concerns over an 'AI bubble' situation. Officials at the…
- Best of Business
Hamish McKay: The Country spokesperson on Winston Peters raising concerns over Fonterra deals
There's been concerns out of Parliament over Fonterra's future. Peters is asking the dairy giant questions about its proposed nearly $4 billion dollar sale of…
- Best of Business
Brad Olsen: Infometrics Principal Economist on the latest stats revealing Government spending has dropped
Treasury has revealed the state of the Government’s finances, and it's been revealed that spending has dropped. The country's still in an operating deficit of…
- Best of Business
Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Agribusiness expert on Nestle pulling out of a global methane accord
Global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, prompting speculation. This follows other companies backing out of climate…
- Best of Business
Liam Dann: NZ Herald Business Editor on the OCR cut, inflation
The Reserve Bank's continuing to walk a fine line, with its move to cut the OCR 50-basis points to 2.5%. Economic data suggests inflation has now hit 3%…
- Best of Business
Chris Small: ABC Business Sales CEO on the impac of the OCR being cut to 2.5%
The biggest upshot of the latest OCR cut is likely to be the boost to consumer confidence. The Reserve Bank's slashed the cash rate by 50-basis-points to 2.5%…
- Best of Business
Remy Morgan: Milford Asset Management expert on the market reactions to the 50bp OCR cut
The Reserve Bank today slashed the OCR by 50 basis points to 2.5 percent, prompting markets to make readjustments. This recent cut wasn't full priced in, and…
- Best of Business
Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Today's OCR cut comes better late than never
Good news - the Reserve Bank has finally done the thing many of us thought was necessary, and they've gone for a double cut in the OCR of 50 basis points…
- Best of Business
Todd Grace: Queenstown Airport chief operating officer on the airport being named as the best in the country
Queenstown Airport is flying high, thanks to a surge in visitors. It's been named Large Airport of the Year at the national awards - with judges praising its…
- Best of Business
Jarrod Kerr: Kiwibank Chief Economist on the Reserve Bank cutting the OCR by 50 basis points
Today's 50 basis point OCR cut could go some way to getting our economy growing again. The Reserve Bank's slashed the cash rate to 2.5 percent. ANZ has lowered…
- Best of Business
Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on what the latest OCR cut means for the economy
The Reserve Bank has cut the OCR by 50 basis points to 2.5 percent, despite acknowledging inflation is still above where they'd like it. Finance Minister…
- Best of Business
Liam Dann: NZ Herald Business Editor at Large on the impact of the RBNZ cutting the OCR
Today's OCR cut probably won't be the last in the current cycle, according to new claims. The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee agreed to cut the cash…
- Best of Business
Hamish McKay: The Country spokesperson on the state of New Zealand's trade deal with India
Trade Minister Todd McClay has confirmed trade negotiations with India are progressing - but there's still a ways to go. New Zealand and Indian trade…
- Best of Business
Mils Muliaina: former All Black talks new role on Auckland Business Chamber
Former All Black Mils Muliaina is set to trade rugby fields for the boardroom as he steps into his new role. He recently joined the Auckland Business Chamber…
- Best of Business
Scott Russell: Lawyer involved in class action lawsuit against major banks on ASB paying $135.6 million to settle suit
ASB has agreed to pay $135.6 million to settle a class action after it was accused of breaching its disclosure obligations under the Credit Contracts and…
- Best of Business
Kristy McKay: Air New Zealand Head of Regulatory Affairs on the Commerce Commission rejecting calls for inquiry into airports
The Commerce Commission has ruled out an inquiry into airport regulation, for now. Air New Zealand had written to the regulator, saying there was enough…
- Best of Business
Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on Adrian Orr getting $416,000 after quitting Reserve Bank
Former Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr is in for a significant payday. He resigned in March, following a funding disagreement, with tensions between Treasury…
- Best of Business
Dr Andrew Lensen: AI expert addresses calls that New Zealand needs more AI regulations
There's growing calls for New Zealand to regulate AI, amid concerns that the nation is falling behind on this matter. It's been revealed that Meta has been…