NZ Herald: New Zealand's Latest News, Business, Sport, Weather, Entertainment, Politics

Latest FromBrian Gaynor

Exchange paying the price for poor leadership and governance in past.

BUSINESS

The NZX must take stock before it's left behind

9 Jun, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Exchange paying the price for poor leadership and governance in past.

Mark Cairns is only the third chief executive since Port of Tauranga listed in 1992.Photo / NMZE

BUSINESS

NZ's best investor — is it BoP Regional Council?

2 Jun, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Comment: Holding on to port company stake has delivered spectacular rewards.

There have been several studies and articles on the innovative governance structure of Netflix, whose CEO and founder is Reed Hastings. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Directors' role in need of a major shake-up

26 May, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Netflix is leading the way and companies must follow suit to survive in a changing world.

An artist's impression of the proposed Auckland transit line, running up Queen St.

BUSINESS

Gaynor: Finding money to get Auckland on the rails

19 May, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Light rail development for Montreal shows how Auckland project could be financed.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: Budget prudence needed, not borrow and hope

12 May, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The big question is whether Robertson will maintain this prudent approach.

Drop in listings on the NZX is the result of more takeovers. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Why the Tegel takeover leaves a bad taste for many investors

5 May, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

The NZX is under attack — our listed companies are disappearing rapidly.

Companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft are now dominating in the US markets. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Gaynor: Intangibles taking over the markets

28 Apr, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Huge shift clear in US while NZ companies still showing focus on physical assets.

Sir Ralph Norris (right) has let down shareholders, argues Brian Gaynor Photo / Greg Bowker

BUSINESS

Fletcher a reputation that needs rebuilding

21 Apr, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

As the woes of the construction giant go on, there are more questions than answers.

Why didn't Jeremy Moon and other Icebreaker investors list on the NZX instead of selling to an overseas buyer? Photo / Greg Bowker

BUSINESS

Gaynor: Week brings bad news for the NZX

14 Apr, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Shortage of independent directors is one reason firms sell, rather than list.

Christian Bale plays Michael Burry shorting mortgage-backed securities in The Big Short. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Short selling not a sure one-way bet

7 Apr, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Californian hedge fund no stranger to ASX as its reports drive down prices.

Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings received total remuneration of $28.6 million in his first six years. Picture / Jason Oxenham.

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: Does big pay bring big results?

30 Mar, 2018 7:39pm
7 minutes to read

Highly paid CEOs do not necessarily create huge value for shareholders.

Banks are the lifeblood of the domestic economy. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: Bank boards a vital cog in NZ economy

24 Mar, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Banks are the lifeblood of the domestic economy.

Whatever many people may believe, NZ bank deposits are not guaranteed. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: How safe is your money in the bank?

17 Mar, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Whatever many people may believe, NZ bank deposits are not guaranteed.

Ron Trotter, the chief executive and chairman of Fletcher Challenge, making his speech at the company's annual meeting at Trillos in Auckland in 1982. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Gaynor: New Xero boss has other fish to fry

10 Mar, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Shareholders Association wants Vamos to resign from the Fletcher Building board.

Chairman Sir John Wells rings the bell as CBL lists in 2015. Photo / Jason Oxenham

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: CBL's woes leave questions to be answered

3 Mar, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: How good was oversight before insurer's problems appeared?

The Convention Centre deal is expected to cost Fletcher $410m. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Gaynor: A2 takes flight as Fletcher plummets

24 Feb, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Company boards need people with the right skills in order to succeed.

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: Fletcher's Norris a victim of his own success?

17 Feb, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Lack of past mistakes left chairman ill-equipped when things went wrong.

The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Trustpower changes may be too radical

3 Feb, 2018 8:24am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Trustpower share drop adds to customers' worries.

Trader George Ettinger works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: How to make money in 2018

27 Jan, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

After a rewarding decade, investors shouldn't pick markets' next move.

Quantum retained fees paid by students (mainly funded through government loans) even though these students completed less than 10 per cent of their courses. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

No pass for Intueri Education

20 Jan, 2018 5:30am
7 minutes to read

OPINION: Investors deserve far higher standards than failed NZX company delivered.

Are cryptocurrency values getting ahead of themselves? Photo / Bloomberg

BUSINESS

The minefield of digital currencies

16 Dec, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Are cryptocurrency values getting ahead of themselves?

Martin Aircraft reported a loss of $24.4m after its Martin Jetpack failed to live up to the hype. Photo / Supplied

BUSINESS

Listed firms require right formula to fly

9 Dec, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Crucial targets must be met to flourish on the stock exchange.

The battle for control of Myer is generating huge media interest across the Tasman. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Myer fight shows investors need to act

2 Dec, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Active shareholders can hold poor performers to account on both sides of the Tasman.

The always understated Geoff Babidge, managing director and CEO of a2 Milk, addresses shareholders at this week's AGM. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: Focused a2 shows how it's done, who's next?

25 Nov, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Successful companies are all about strategy and execution and a2 has excelled.

Xero's decision to delist from the domestic sharemarket has focused attention on the NZX. Photo / Bloomberg

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: NZX left in the dust

18 Nov, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

It's not just Australia - other sharemarkets are also outpacing NZ.

Rod Drury says Xero won't seek shareholder approval for its move to the Australian market. Photo / Michael Craig

BUSINESS

Xero sends a message to the market

11 Nov, 2017 6:00am
7 minutes to read

OPINION: Xero's move to Australian exchange is a major blow to the NZX.

Muldoon's abolition of the Labour super scheme was a disaster for New Zealand. Photo / Listener

BUSINESS

Next move Labour in the super game

4 Nov, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Decades of to-and-fro have seen big changes in pensions policy - for better and for worse.

The best option for construction giant would be to either break up the company or sell non-core assets. Photo / Dean Purcell

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: How to fix Fletcher Building

28 Oct, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The best option would be to either break up the company or sell non-core assets.

The clear message to investors is that all IPOs should be assessed with care. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Assess with care before you invest

21 Oct, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

OPINION: Performance of Metro Performance Glass has refocused attention.

Solid Energy could probably have survived, but for its growth strategy.

BUSINESS

Miner's end leaves taxpayers in a hole

7 Oct, 2017 8:34am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Solid Energy could probably have survived, but for its growth strategy.

'Shambolic' and 'stalemate' have been used to describe talks between the UK's David Davis (left) and the EU's Michael Barnier. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Many twists left yet on road to Brexit

30 Sep, 2017 8:27am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Britain wants to leave the EU, but keep many membership benefits.

Australians, including those living on the Gold Coast, are better funded for retirement than New Zealanders. Photo / AAP

BUSINESS

NZ pension funds lagging behind Aussie

23 Sep, 2017 8:35am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Changes to KiwiSaver would raise risk profile and long-term returns.

The NZX index drifted steadily lower to 3584.69 on Friday, October 16, 1987, and crashed the following week.

BUSINESS

Reflecting on the heady heights of '87

16 Sep, 2017 8:23am
7 minutes to read

OPINION: 30 years on from the market crash, what has changed?

New Zealand First wants to start by moving imported cars off Auckland's waterfront. Photo / Brett Phibbs

BUSINESS

Peters' port plan fails to make grade

9 Sep, 2017 9:13am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Deal with Tauranga more logical than shipping freight through Northport.

Kiwis preferred carrier is Air New Zealand. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Travel boom has airlines flying high

2 Sep, 2017 8:32am
7 minutes to read

OPINION: Airlines are on a roll and Kiwis are flying far and wide.

Construction-related spending is approximately $13.9 trillion per annum, equivalent to 13 per cent of world GDP. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Building, the industry that got left behind

26 Aug, 2017 12:06pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Poor productivity in construction isn't just a New Zealand issue.

Opus International has been hit by the decline in oil, gas and other resources. Photo / NZME

BUSINESS

A tale of shrinking sharemarkets

19 Aug, 2017 3:28pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Fall in new listings and takeovers thin the ranks - in NZ and abroad.

Conservative boards, with their feet firmly on the brakes, are limiting investors' returns. Photo / Martin Sykes

BUSINESS

Brian Gaynor: Metro Glass fails to shine

12 Aug, 2017 8:39am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Conservative boards are limiting investors' returns.

Labour's new leader Jacinda Ardern represented a significant change in style and age, as well as gender. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Will Jacinda make markets take notice?

5 Aug, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Election campaign sprang into life with Jacinda Ardern as Labour leader.

Ryman Healthcare CEO Simon Challies, Air NZ CEO Christopher Luxon and Z Energy CEO Mike Bennetts.

BUSINESS

Wanted: The right boss for Fletcher

29 Jul, 2017 8:48am
7 minutes to read

OPINION: Why wasn't company able to find a new permanent CEO within its own ranks?

CEO Mark Adamson made it clear from the start that he was running the show. Photo / Dean Purcell

BUSINESS

Fletcher in need of major renovation

22 Jul, 2017 8:54am
7 minutes to read

Profit downgrade, a sudden exit by the CEO - what's gone wrong?

The New Zealand vehicle market is booming. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Car boom looks like last hurrah for petrol

15 Jul, 2017 3:26pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: New sales at record but many may be obsolete in a generation.

Too much compliance is geared to the old world of blue collar work, not today's service economy. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Red tape tying business in knots

8 Jul, 2017 9:36am
7 minutes to read

Boards and management too busy with compliance to discuss the real issues.

Veritas executive director Michael Morton. Photo / Richard Robinson

BUSINESS

Challenging times in the food business

1 Jul, 2017 8:28am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Veritas hasn't been able to capitalise on today's consumer trends.

My Food Bag co-founder Cecilia Robinson. Picture / Jason Oxenham

BUSINESS

Changing tastes feed food frenzy

24 Jun, 2017 8:36am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Changing consumer tastes make this a great time for food businesses.

The top performing New Zealand sector in the March quarter was agriculture, forestry and fishing, which grew by 2.8 per cent. Photo / Ross Setford

BUSINESS

GDP data won't dent NZ's allure

17 Jun, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The latest GDP figures will have an important influence on the upcoming election.

NZX chairman James Miller has urged shareholders not to vote for would-be director Tony Falkenstein.

BUSINESS

Breakup best for lacklustre NZX

10 Jun, 2017 5:10am
7 minutes to read

Opinion: Market operator has been an underperformer.

Until he was charged, many people believed David Ross was just an incredibly lucky investor. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Untangling NZ's biggest Ponzi scheme

4 Jun, 2017 2:09pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: David Ross brought grief to 700 investors, most of whom he knew.

Shortage of IPOs shows exchange has been asleep at the wheel. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Why does the NZX have so few IPOs?

27 May, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The NZX has had only 0.6 per cent of global IPOs over a 51-month period.

Treasurer Scott Morrison's Budget showed Australia is expecting its ninth deficit in a row. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

In this game, we're beating the Aussies

20 May, 2017 6:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: While the NZ Government enjoys surpluses, Australia's dives deeper into debt.

New Zealand's attitude towards marijuana is much more conservative than Australia, Canada and the United States. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Cannabis stocks an easy high

13 May, 2017 8:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: When will New Zealand join the world with listed marijuana stocks?

A low-fee strategy could be costing investors $100,000 or more on retirement. Photo / Dean Purcell

BUSINESS

Poor choices making KiwiSavers worse off

6 May, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Opinion: Decades from now, retirees are likely to look back in regret.

Jerome Kaino of the All Blacks performs the haka. Photo / Phil Walter

BUSINESS

NZ Rugby is winning the game

29 Apr, 2017 6:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Our national game is no longer a sport - it is a business.

Week after week NZX listed companies were plundered by their controlling shareholders during the NZX's infamous wild west era.

BUSINESS

No reason to return to bad old days

22 Apr, 2017 11:03am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The Wild West has its place - in the movies, writes Brian Gaynor.

BUSINESS

Myers: Achievement amid the controversy

15 Apr, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Sir Douglas Myers was one of the country's most controversial businessmen.

Amazon distribution centres in Australia are likely to mean faster delivery for NZ shoppers. Picture / 123RF

BUSINESS

Amazon a danger for Kiwi shops

8 Apr, 2017 6:00am
7 minutes to read

Amazon's planned Australian operation could attract more NZ shoppers

Z Energy believes virtual meetings are the way to go - but there is an alternative. Photo / Dean Purcell

BUSINESS

Better ways to meet demand for meetings

1 Apr, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Individual shareholders have drawn the short straw in NZ, writes Brian Gaynor.

Fletcher Building chief executive Mark Adamson (right). Photo / Dean Purcell

BUSINESS

Small investors treated as second class

25 Mar, 2017 8:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The Shareholders' Association is on the warpath.

Fifteen of the largest ASX companies at the end of 1997 remain listed across the Tasman and the total value of all 15 companies, including their takeover value, has soared 237 per cent. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Tasman gap gives KiwiSavers little choice

18 Mar, 2017 6:00am
7 minutes to read

KiwiSaver is a fantastic long-term superannuation scheme but it has one major drawback: limited domestic investment opportunities.

Friends and employees of Snap applaud at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange as the company celebrates its IPO. Picture / AP.

BUSINESS

Kids can be your best investment guide

11 Mar, 2017 6:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: A good piece of investment advice is listen to your partner and kids.

The problem with the NZX is twofold. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Profits only modest in booming economy

4 Mar, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

The interim profit announcements for the six months to December 31 met market expectations but little more, says Brian Gaynor.

Sky TV has made a huge contribution to New Zealand in terms of television content and the support of domestic activities. Photo / Kerry Marshall

BUSINESS

Sky TV merger knock-back risk to sports

25 Feb, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Regulator has no downside if its decision is wrong, but the consumers may be hugely disadvantaged, Brian Gaynor writes.