What's about to make news in the world of business, finance and economics today?
1. A Singapore Airlines function is being held in Auckland, celebrating 40 years of flying to New Zealand and showing off one of their planes at Auckland International Airport.
2. A major High Court case is due to begin in Wellington today. This is the latest chapter in the long-running, bitter legal dispute between the NZX and the former owners of the Clear grain exchange, dating back to 2011, when the sharemarket operator filed proceedings claiming it was misled when it bought the Australian commodity trading platform in 2009 from Dominic Pym, Grant Thomas and their associated Ralec companies.
NZX is seeking damages of at least $22.7 million. The defendants deny the allegations and have filed their own counterclaim. The case could run eight or nine weeks.
3. Business before the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee: Trans-Pacific Partnership submissions. The committee considers matters relating to customs, defence, disarmament and arms control, foreign affairs, immigration, and trade.
4. Westpac's first-half earnings are due out today. Bank profitability has been in the news lately. Falling interest margins and the fiercely competitive lending market contributed to a downturn in the New Zealand banking sector's profitability in the final quarter of 2015, according to KPMG's Financial Institutions Performance Survey.