Greens-Labour policy biggest of sector's issues and MRP hurting most, says broker.

Meridian Energy sold more electricity in the first six months of the current financial year than in the previous year, but prices achieved were significantly lower.

The New Zealand sharemarket is experiencing its strongest activity levels in a decade with a steady stream of new offerings in 2013 and high transaction rates.

The sharemarket has seen a raft of new companies launch on to the exchange in the past 14 months but not all have proved to be winners.

However John Key tries to spin the result, the 67.2 per cent to 32.5 per cent vote against asset sales was emphatic, writes Brian Rudman.

The partial sale of Genesis Energy will go ahead as planned, despite a referendum pointing to public disapproval of asset sales.

John Key confidently predicted sales would raise more than $7 billion. It's not completed yet but already we are down $1.2b, writes Matt McCarten.

The Govt has revised the estimate of how much it expects to receive from its partial asset sales down to between $4.6 to $5b.

Liam Dann considers the extremely difficult diplomatic position NZ could face this century as China grows in economic strength and asserts its political muscle.

Every registered voter by now will have received postal ballot papers for the referendum on asset sales.

Investors who took up shares in newly listed Mighty River Power and Meridian will take little comfort from PwC's latest report on the electricity sector.

I'm not a fan of binding referendums, writes Brian Rudman. Like mass petitions, they're a one-sided megaphone that is no substitute for the checks and balances built into the parliamentary process.

Voting begins today in a citizens-initiated referendum on whether the Government should sell part of its stake in power companies and Air New Zealand.

Meridian Energy's instalment receipts fell below their issue price - in early afternoon trading today.

Market players say they are surprised at the drop in Air New Zealand's share price in the wake of the Government's 20 per cent sell-down.

The Government has made $365 million from selling down its 20 per cent stake in Air New Zealand after pricing the shares at $1.65 a piece.

Qantas has launched a scathing attack on the stake that Air NZ have built in Virgin Australia. Grant Bradley looks at why it's got the Flying Roo in a such a flap.

Bill English has thrown the Opposition a curve-ball as they ready themselves for their unofficial three-week campaign to maximise the "no" vote in the referendum on partial asset sales.

Qantas has launched an attack on Air NZ's commercial strategy behind its investment in Virgin - saying it's a foreign bid to destabilise Australian aviation market.

According to the Labour Party leader, David Cunliffe, the timing of the Government's selldown of shares in Air New Zealand is arrogant.

Strong demand for the Air NZ share selldown is expected, but one broker says most will be coming from the bigger institutional investors.

The Government will sell 20 per cent of its stake in Air New Zealand today and tomorrow. The Herald tells you the 11 things you need to know.