Michael Gordon
Inflation falls to 15 year low
Annual inflation has dived to a 15 year low, as cheaper petrol pushed down the cost of living in the first three months of the year. Audio
Iraq condemns Saudi airstrikes
Tensions in Barack Obama's coalition to fight Islamic State erupted today with an extraordinary clash in Washington between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Audio
Auckland house building slows well short of what's needed
The pace of house building growth in Auckland appears to be slowing still well short of what's needed to meet population growth. Audio
Building consents fall in January
One economist says the second successive month of falls in the number of consents for new houses and apartments is surprising, particularly in the accelerating Auckland housing market. Audio
Trade surplus for January
Economists say exports are likely to be subdued in coming months, as drought conditions curb dairy production and contract prices fail to capture higher auction prices in the last month. Audio
Trade deficit of $159m in December boosted by aircraft import
The 159 million dollar trade deficit in December was higher than expected, but that was because of another large aircraft import as Air New Zealand continues to upgrade its fleet. Audio
Economists expect there wasn't any inflation in December
An economist at Westpac says the annual inflation rate could well come very close to zero in the early part of this year, because of falling petrol prices. Audio
Economy grew 1% in the Sept Qtr: spending rose 1.3 percent
The economy grew 1 percent in the September quarter with spending growing an even stronger 1.3 percent. Audio
Current account deficit swells to a near 6-year high at $2.5b
The current account deficit swelled to 2.5 billion dollars in the September quarter to a near six-year high, driven by falling dairy prices and rising imports. Audio
Economists expect slightly slower September Qtr growth
Economists, on average, are expecting the economy grew slightly slower in the September quarter than the Reserve Bank has forecast. Audio
Real estate stats point to a strenghtening housing market
Another round of real estate figures points to increasing activity in the housing market, following the pre-election lull. Audio
Westpac predicts a more than 10% fall in NZ's purchasing power
Westpac is predicting New Zealand's purchasing power with the rest of the world will have deteriorated by more than 10 percent by the middle of next year. Audio
New Zealand's purchasing power falls from a 40-year high
New Zealand's purchasing power with the rest of the world fell from a more than 40-year high and for the first time in seven quarters. Audio
Auckland building consents surprises economist
Building consents were granted for almost 600 new houses and apartments in Auckland in October - a figure that's surprised one economist. Audio
Monthly building consents up, but still trending down
The number of consents for new houses and apartments increased by almost 9 percent last month, following a fall in September. Audio
An economist forecasts further falls in dairy exports
An economist is forecasting dairy exports, particularly to China, will fall further before they begin to stabilise. Audio
New Zealand's October trade deficit was the highest in 6 years
New Zealand recorded a 908-million-dollar trade deficit in October, the highest for an October month since 2008. Audio
Housing consents fell more than 12% in September
Consents to build new houses fell more than 12 percent in September and, for once, it couldn't be blamed on volatile numbers of consents to build apartments. Audio
Dairy price slump leads to a $1 billion deficit in the Sept qtr
The slump in global dairy prices is having a big impact on New Zealand's overseas trade position, and was the major driver of the $1 billion deficit, recorded in the September quarter. Audio
Jobs market confidence is expected to continue rising
Confidence in the jobs market is likely to continue rising, even though the pace of economic growth is likely to slow. Audio
