Latest from Banking and finance

Retail card spending up 1.2pc in Feb

New Zealanders increased spending on debit and credit cards in February, led by gains in hospitality and apparel as low inflation

NZ dollar gains vs. yen after Japanese GDP revised lower

China's GDP target won't slash demand

China's decision to lower its annual GDP growth target to around 7 per cent should not have a significant impact on demand for New Zealand commodities, HSBC's chief economist for Australia and New....

SBS mortgage sign of rates rivalry

Competition is continuing to heat up in the mortgage market, with a new rate dipping below 5 per cent.

NZ dollar tumbles in wake of strong US jobs data

Liam Dann: Goldilocks economy in a complex world

The US economy continues to surge back to life, moving into territory which some economists describe as "full employment". However, Americans who are still without a job may disagree.

Building slump in Oz continues

Construction activity in Australia continued to fall in February as an interest rate cut failed to encourage new orders.

OCR expected to hold at 3.5%

The January OCR review saw a shift in the bank's stance from a tightening bias to neutral.

Mark Gilbert: Bitcoin continues to confuse central bankers

Bitcoin, the poster child for digital currencies, is proving something of a headache for central banks.

Crisis persists despite building rise

Building activity has reached its strongest growth rate in almost 15 years and is up sharply in the latest quarter, but critics say it is still not helping relieve Auckland's housing crisis.

NZ dollar benefits from commodity currency gains

Dairy helps raise commodity price index

Higher dairy prices pushed ANZ's commodity price index up 1.8 per cent last month.

Power firms nudge index to fresh high

NZ shares rose to a fresh record yesterday, paced by Mighty River Power, Meridian Energy and Genesis Energy as investors mulled possible lower interest rates across the Tasman.

Co-ops need growth cash

Growing global market opportunities and the need to strengthen supply chains are creating a thirst for capital among agricultural co-operatives around the world, rural lending specialist Rabobank said.

'Don't speak to media' - Taurus Group

Investors in property syndicates formerly run by SPI have been told to close ranks to the media.

Court rules on Hubbard payout

The biggest investor in one of Allan Hubbard's shambolic businesses has come out on top after a High Court hearing over how much money he is entitled to.