Economy
Midday Business news for 27 January 2026
The latest news from RNZ's business team. Audio
Morning Report Essentials for Monday 26 January
The RNZ-Reid Research poll surveyed one-thousand-people from January the 15th through to the 22nd; A mix of cameras, drones, and human spotters are providing constant monitoring of the Mount Maunganui… Audio
Gold prices reach record highs
The price of gold is surging, up over 75% in the last year alone. Infometrics economist Gareth Kiernan spoke to Corin Dann. Audio
Storms, forestry slash: Where does legal responsibility lie?
Extreme weather may be the trigger for deadly and devastating slash, but the lines on who is responsible for prevention and clean-up are blurred.
Slash, storms and the fight over responsibility
Extreme weather may be the trigger for deadly and devastating slash, but the lines on who is responsible for prevention and clean-up are blurred. Audio
Why 2026 is a 'Goldilocks year' for first-home buyers
Changes mean lenders are approving more home loans to buyers with low deposits, and some people might not realise they qualify. Audio
What the higher-than-expected inflation figures could mean
Economists say it might be time to recalibrate our expectations for inflation and interest rates following higher-than-expected inflation figures on Friday. Bagrie Economics managing director Cameron… Audio
Odds narrow for imminent OCR hike despite high inflation
Inflation has lifted to 3.1 percent, but economists say recessionary slack means the Reserve Bank may delay any OCR hike until later in the year.
Treasury figures show brighter situation than expected
The government's finances are in better than expected shape as spending has fallen more than the tax take.
Confidence returning to property market, REINZ says
It has released its data for December, which shows the national median price was up 1.4 percent year-on-year to $786,977. Month-on-month it was down 1.6 percent.
Job ads stall in December, after six months of growth
The 0.3 percent decline ended six months of consecutive increases.
Morning Report Essentials for Tuesday 20 January 2026
Christopher Luxon gave his annual scene setting speech in Auckland on Monday to a crowd of 700 people hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber; New research shows many New Zealanders aren't paying… Audio
Is owning a home no longer the strong investment it once was?
New data shows the old adage that house prices double every ten years hasn't been true in the past decade - and some commentators are saying it might not be in the next one, either. Money… Audio
Fear 'ghost houses' will turn Queenstown into a trainwreck
At any given time, more than a quarter of the district's properties are unoccupied, data shows.
Saveloys out, spinach in: Here's how our spending habits have changed
If you think about what you - or your parents - were spending your money on 30 years ago, it might be quite different to how you spend it now. Audio
