Business
NZH
Mary Holm: Why chasing sharemarket wins beats most investors in the end
OPINION: Betting big on one share is a risky way to invest.
From dyslexic 10-year-old to building boss: Icon Construction director Dan Bosher
By 2027, Icon NZ will have been in this country for a decade and now has expansion plans.
Market close: NZ sharemarket up 0.4%, Sanford dominates trading
The S&P/NZX50 Index closed at 13,161.97, a gain of 60.36 points or 0.46%.
SpaceX’s US$1.77t IPO: The red flags, the green flags, the bad sci-fi novel bits
Some analysts see the firm as hugely overvalued.
'Most disruptive period in media's history': RNZ responds to Govt's audience, trust, financial expectations
Outgoing chairman outlines cost-cutting, while balancing public broadcasting duties.
Air Chathams ends Auckland-Kāpiti flights
Airline group says a much bigger talk is needed if future transport links are to be saved.
'Every extra metre makes a big difference': Meridian eyes more Pūkaki water
Meridian receives draft okay to use more water from Lake Pūkaki for power.
AI 'vibe coding' startup co-founded by a Kiwi raises $837m
Start-up valued at US$10 billion.
'We’re disappointed': NZ lamb, dairy and wine face higher US tariffs
The new 12.5% US tariff could replace the existing 10% rate next month.
RN
No buffer - Sri Lanka is on the front line of multiple crises
A developing nation on the front line of climate change effects is being bashed with other major issues, including a fall off in tourism and the effects of the Iran war.
Hopes dairy boom will buffer farmers from impact of Middle East war
Four months into the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, economists are forecasting the costs of the closure and its impact on dairy farmers' bottom lines.
'That first paycheck was pretty wicked': The Wellington service finding the right person for the right job
Originally contracted by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to help 15 vulnerable youth into employment, I'm In has helped 150 jobhunters into the market… Audio
The real estate agents turning reels into sales
Real estate agents are turning to social media as traditional forms of property advertising decline.
Green light for plan to take extra water from Lake Pūkaki
There is concern lowering the lake could create risk in a dry year.
Why are KiwiSaver members missing out?
More than half of eligible members have not yet contributed enough to get the government's tax credit, Westpac says. Audio
SpaceX IPO: Rockets, AI losses and Elon Musk in control
It's a gamble that comes with limited voting rights, restricted ability to sue and a business that is currently losing billions of dollars a year.
Controversial container terminal leaving Katikati - what's replacing it
A shipping container terminal at the northern entrance to Katikati, which the community called an "eyesore", is moving to Hamilton.
RNZ's Sam Sherwood sweeps reporting awards
At the Radio and Podcast Awards, Sherwood added the 'best journalist' title to his three wins at the earlier NZ Media Awards.
The real price of AI
Explainer: There's been plenty of speculation about the resources AI gobbles up. A new report lays bare the cost of our growing obsession. Audio
1N
Huffer accused of using AI to recreate real models without permission
An Auckland model has accused the brand of using AI-generated figures that appeared to be based on himself and others who have previously worked with Huffer.
Air Chathams suspends Kapiti-Auckland route amid soaring costs
Regional airline Air Chathams will suspend its route between the Kapiti Coast and Auckland amid a continued spike in operating costs.
The AI companies barrelling towards Wall Street debuts
Tech giants are looking to take their shares public to access more capital in the race to shape the technology's future.
Luxon visits Australia for annual meeting with Anthony Albanese
Luxon and Albanese to discuss driving economic growth and aligning efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
'Years of challenges': Is this the end for the craft beer revolution?
Less than a decade on from the golden days of the craft beer revolution, the fizz appears to be going out on boutique breweries.
Five Big Things That Happened Today: Thursday, June 4
Store owner thrilled for community after selling $28m Lotto ticket; Thunderstorm warning as 'active front' moves over North Island; Four MPs banned from China after visiting Taiwan.
Parliament journos in stand-off with Speaker over possible ban
Brownlee is set to make a ruling on Stuff Digital's access to the Parliamentary precinct after raising concerns about some of its reporting last month.
NZ’s largest bank increases home loan interest rates
The bank cited wholesale interest rates and uncertainty from the conflict in the Middle East as reasons for the increases.
Report warns AI data centre boom threatens resources
The UN issued warnings in a report into the environmental impact of AI, calling for regulatory changes to avert its most harmful impacts.
Four Square owner thrilled for community after store sold $28m Lotto ticket
"It's a good feeling because we're a small store and you generally know the people coming through the door by name," the owner of Four Square Netherby in Ashburton said.
St
Putin slams Western sanctions as damaging to the global economy
Russian President Vladimir Putin says developing countries have gained an increasingly important role in the global economy, while the share of output by Western countries has shrunk.
Bus driver who left route to use toilet at home paid out over $22,000 in employment dispute
Ritchies failed to follow any formal dismissal process when it ceased offering her work, the ERA found.
Banking shake-up: Heartland to buy TSB for $620m in proposed full-service merger
A proposed $620 million multi-million-dollar merger between Heartland and TSB is set to create a new full-service challenger bank with a major regional focus.
Quartet of Main Road tenancies offer diversified provincial investment
A multi-tenanted building for sale on Katikati’s main town centre retail strip offers an affordable chance to invest in a thriving provincial location.
Makita move part of new Hobsonville development
A high-end industrial facility in the West Auckland suburb of Hobsonville that will soon be tenanted by power tools giant Makita has been sold to a private investor.
K’Road precinct energy meets CRL connectivity
With the City Rail Link set to open later this year, investor attention is intensifying around the precincts expected to benefit from the country’s largest infrastructure project.
Metropolitan centrepiece grounded in growth
A development-scale landholding in one of Auckland’s most established metropolitan centres is being brought to market with existing design and due diligence material.
Global sales campaign for famous Rotorua spa resort business
An international campaign has been launched to find buyers for a luxury cultural wellness resort business in New Zealand’s North Island tourist mecca of Rotorua.
Industrial asset in highly visible Hastings hub
An industrial property in Hastings that benefits from a prominent position on a key arterial route is for sale.
Prominent North Shore industrial investment
A high-profile industrial property in Rosedale is for sale and offers the opportunity to acquire an asset with an established tenant and a steady rental stream.
TP
While NZ tinkers with energy, global peers surge ahead
ANALYSIS: The Government has spent much of this year warning that New Zealand faces an energy security challenge, with rising power prices, shrinking gas supplies and a war exposing the country’s vulnerability to imported fuel.
Choked roads, private plans: The race to solve Queenstown's traffic woes
By early morning each day, Frankton Rd in Queenstown stops behaving like a road and starts behaving like a queue.
The cost of saying “I do”: How the economy is reshaping New Zealand weddings
OPINION: Coming off the highs of the post-Covid period, the wedding sector is noticing spending habits have changed - for example, smaller weddings and intimate celebrations are no longer viewed as a lesser option.
How New Zealand hopped to it – and gave Americans a kick in the palate
OPINION: One of the privileges of living in Santa Monica for a few years is occasionally being asked to do things that are weird and unexpected.
The Global Read: Tackling to-do lists with friends a new kind of date in the US
Life tasks and chat comprise a new kind of get-together known as an “admin date”, which has the added benefit of nurturing relationships that would otherwise suffer from neglect.
Here’s why the construction sector is feeling more confident
The takeaway from the annual Master Builders breakfast? Times are still tough for the sector, but there’s a reason conditions are set to get better.
Ngāi Tahu offloads its Sanford shares, trading resumes
Sanford has performed well but Ngāi Tahu, formerly its biggest shareholder, is moving away from volatile primary sector assets and towards areas like property and tourism.
Meridian gets draft OK to access $80m worth of more water - against ministerial advice
Meridian’s application to the fast-track panel for more water from Lake Pūkaki was opposed by fellow gentailers, Transpower, and even Energy Minister Simeon Brown.
Uncertainty surrounding Iran and US tension causes market jitters
Concerns of renewed hostilities in the Middle East took the wind out of the sails of stock markets on Thursday.
Chlöe Swarbrick suffers agonies at insurance meet over lack of NZ climate prep
Greens co-leader suffers visible agonies as insurer conference exposes how poorly NZ is preparing for climate change.
TPr
While NZ tinkers with energy, global peers surge ahead
ANALYSIS: The Government has spent much of this year warning that New Zealand faces an energy security challenge, with rising power prices, shrinking gas supplies and a war exposing the country’s vulnerability to imported fuel.
Developer says council’s 30m length rules for terraced housing will add unnecessary costs for buyers
New design rules create extra risks for developers and will make terraced homes more expensive to buy, according to Brooksfield director Vinny Holloway.
Timaru mayor confirms interest in lines company shares
Timaru’s mayor says his council is aware of a party potentially interested in buying its shares in South Canterbury’s lines company.
Dedicated gluten-free harvester used for Methven’s coeliac-friendly quinoa crop
Methven farmer Andrew Currie has spent decades trialling unconventional crops as he builds a niche Canterbury-grown quinoa business.
Undemocratic or essential: The 20-year legacy of the Christchurch and Banks Peninsula merger
As Canterbury councils face a massive shake-up, past lessons show that bridging the gap between urban budgets and rural voices is no easy task.
Christchurch-born hospo entrepreneur sells Queenstown waterfront business to Texan billionaire
The American’s assets include ice hockey and football teams, sports arenas, a wine and spirit empire, hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
Council’s plan to look into new housing in red zone like ‘picking a scab’, resident says
It was one of many unresolved grievances that poured out at a public forum discussing red zone issues.
Ngāi Tahu offloads its Sanford shares, trading resumes
Sanford has performed well but Ngāi Tahu, formerly its biggest shareholder, is moving away from volatile primary sector assets and towards areas like property and tourism.
Meridian gets draft OK to access $80m worth of more water - against ministerial advice
Meridian’s application to the fast-track panel for more water from Lake Pūkaki was opposed by fellow gentailers, Transpower, and even Energy Minister Simeon Brown.
Fairlie clothing retailer goes into liquidation
A Fairlie-based clothing retailer had been struggling to fund day-to-day operations and pay debts for some time before deciding to voluntarily liquidate the business last week.
WT
‘Untalented’ nuisance or street-side attraction? Buskers on city agenda
Designated busking zones could be on the way to Hamilton city centre as city leaders weigh changes to its rules around trading in public.
Suffocated, squished and studied: the fight against gold clams
Scientists at Earth Sciences New Zealand’s labs in Hamilton are prodding, poking and pulling apart gold clams in efforts to understand them better.
Bestsellers: An eclair like no other
Gourmet pies, colourful salad and delicate macrons - Stationgrill combines home-style cooking with the owner’s perfectionist streak when it comes to petite desserts.
Threadbare, holey or mismatched - swap your socks at Fieldays
Hand over a worn-out pair to the ‘Sock Swap Fence’ and you can walk away with a replacement.
Most welcome plan to charge tourists for Cathedral Cove
A plan to charge overseas visitors at Cathedral Cove is being welcomed by most, but has one business owner worried about his sales.
Waikato’s honours recipients: a scholar, business owners, doctors, volunteers
Local luminaries Dr Reuben Collier, Geoffery Maber, Ken Williamson, and Dr Rachael Griffith-Hughes are also on this year’s honours list.
Business leaders chew over Budget 2026’s regional impact
Experts say it was a good Budget for the Waikato, but businesses must become more resilient in the face of continued external shocks.
The public has spoken - two hours free parking is coming back to the CBD
The calls from retailers and shoppers was clear and motorists will soon be able to park for two hours free of charge in the city centre.
While NZ tinkers with energy, global peers surge ahead
ANALYSIS: The Government has spent much of this year warning that New Zealand faces an energy security challenge, with rising power prices, shrinking gas supplies and a war exposing the country’s vulnerability to imported fuel.
The cost of saying “I do”: How the economy is reshaping New Zealand weddings
OPINION: Coming off the highs of the post-Covid period, the wedding sector is noticing spending habits have changed - for example, smaller weddings and intimate celebrations are no longer viewed as a lesser option.
Sp
The real-world cost of AI
Anyone with an internet connection can now fire off a query to an AI agent – but what’s the real-world environmental impact of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’?
New Zealand will stay nuclear free (mainly because it can’t afford not to)
Keeping all things nuclear out of New Zealand may or may not make moral sense. But it almost certainly makes economic sense.
Privately funded second Auckland harbour bridge ‘unlikely to achieve value for money’, NZTA report warns
Major construction firms told NZTA they would prefer to build a tunnel under Waitematā harbour, which is more expensive but less risky than a bridge.
Is New Zealand-made clothing hanging on by a thread?
Local fashion makers are concerned for the industry that enables our ‘Made in New Zealand’ pride.
Former Metro editor Henry Oliver joins The Spinoff
Catherine McGregor, the outgoing Bulletin editor, has been prevented from leaving The Spinoff, despite her best attempts, and will take up a new role.
The Spinoff wins at media awards
It’s official: you are visiting 2026’s best news, current affairs or specialist publication.
All the ways politicians want to mess with your KiwiSaver
NZ First has announced it wants to sign all citizens up at birth, but it’s not the only party with plans.
I tried to buy the BNZ. It wasn’t as easy as Winston Peters made it sound
There are legal hurdles, financial hurdles, political hurdles, hurdles embedded in the fabric of the universe.
How Queenstown’s Crux Media became a ‘one-man crusade’
The strange saga of New Zealand’s most controversial local news startup.
Why this AI data centre might be New Zealand’s most important climate project
The annual carbon emissions saving from running Datagrid in New Zealand rather than China could be equivalent to taking almost half a million cars off the road.