Nona Pelletier

Pub and restaurant owner Good Spirits Hospitality is asking shareholders to approve the sale of its assets, to head off legal action by creditors.

The equity research firm said stocks had retained their value amid market volatility, high inflation and interest rates but further downside risk remained.

The biotech industry says the next government must give the sector some urgent attention with a focus on regulatory reform to make up for lost ground.

The tax and spending plans of Labour and National are unlikely to change the economic direction of the country in the short-term, an economist says.

Commercial property investment has been hit by high inflation and interest rates thereby leaving institutional investors on the sidelines for the first half of 2023.

Labour says it will do more to help new players enter the grocery market, but one of the mid-size existing players thinks the idea is too expensive and unlikely to succeed.

Listed retailers have reported profitable results over the latest reporting season, but the outlook is for tough times ahead.

Southern Cross Health Society says it will be increasing the price of health insurance, amid rising costs, increased claims and a need to increase its capital reserves.

The Commerce Commission said the allegations were "extremely concerning".

The introduction of debt-to-income caps on mortgage lending could make short-order of a pick-up in the housing market.

BusinessNZ says companies are coming back from historically low levels of business confidence and there's still a long way to go.

The Commerce Commission's market study into personal banking services has unleashed a torrent of negative feedback on the current state of sector competition.

Rising oil prices and a weak New Zealand dollar are putting pressure on petrol prices, with air fares affected as well.

Standard & Poor's global chief economist Paul Gruenwald said NZ's economy was in good shape but growth would continue to be soft given the mixed fortunes of the world's biggest economies.

The biometric industry is asking the Privacy Commissioner to develop a code of practice that will not impose regulations that stifle innovation.

The Electricity Authority is being urged to focus on industry competition and pricing to get costs for households down.

The National Party's pre-election tax policy will mean significant changes for the tax system, which would be difficult to implement within the proposed timeframe.

Among the projects outlined in the 10-year capital improvement plan are an integrated domestic terminal and a new cargo precinct.

The Kiwi dollar fell to a seven-year low against the British pound and six-month low against the US currency amid a global economic downturn.

Contact Energy says investment in carbon reduction should be focused on getting to 97 percent renewable, not 100.

Analysts are expecting the upcoming corporate reporting season to deliver a mixed bag of results, with falling consumer demand and increased costs a drag on earnings.

The Commerce Commission expects merchants to pass on an estimated $105 million a year in savings on Mastercard and Visa card fees charged to consumers or will consider further regulation.

Any gains may be short-lived if the general election results in a change of government.

A lower New Zealand dollar may help revive the local sharemarket which has had a lacklustre first half of the year.

Alternatives to the Lake Onslow hydro storage lake have not been fully explored, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.