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PODCAST

Best of Business

Best of Business is the home of all things business at Newstalk ZB, from morning market updates right through to incisive interviews with New Zealand’s top business leaders and decision makers. Whether you’re a small business owner or interested in what’s going on in the Big End of Town, this podcast encompasses the sharpest voices and minds in the world of business.

business business news

All Episodes

4:09

Shane Solly: Harbour Asset Management expert on oil...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/13

Global oil prices have shot up again, with Donald Trump gunning for authority over the Strait of Hormuz. The President's announced a naval blockade on Iranian ports, after peace talks collapsed in Pakistan yesterday. Despite the ceasefire, he's looking at resuming strikes. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5:34

Andrew Little: Wellington mayor on Wellington's new...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/13

Concerns have been raised over the new Wellington water entity, as its board members will be paid twice as much as their Wellington Water counterparts. The group's new chair will be paid $110,000 - a higher figure than the $60,000 Wellington Water's previous chair was paid. The entity's CEO will also be paid $645,000 - a higher amount than the previous Wellington Water CEO got. Wellington mayor Andrew Little says this is disappointing news, even if the group has plenty to manage. LISTEN ABOVESee

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8:37

Chris Bishop: Associate Finance Minister on the...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/13

There's growing concern about the impact of the Middle East conflict, and at least one major bank has forecasted increases to the OCR. ANZ has revised its outlook, with forecasted increases to the OCR bringing rates up to 3 percent by October. Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop says skyrocketing fuel prices will have a flow-on effect on the New Zealand economy - and it's likely inflation will spike too. "That's an unfortunate reality of global events...the forecast will properly come out with

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4:05

Alexander Cornwell: Reuters Middle East correspondent...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/13

A warning Iran has more ways to inflict economic pain if war resumes with the US, other than in the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump's threatening a navy blockade of the shipping lane from 2am NZT after talks in Pakistan have brought no deal. Iran says military vessels approaching the Strait will be dealt with severely. Reuters Middle East correspondent Alexander Cornwell says UAE and Saudi Arabian oil terminals could be at risk. "The Iranians have proven that they have the capability of hitting both

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3:03

John Saywell: Independent Pharmacy Group co-founder...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/13

Concern from pharmacists over revelations Chemist Warehouse is planning to double its sites in the next decade. BusinessDesk reports a confidential briefing for Regulations Minister David Seymour shows it's aiming to have 140 stores. Independent Pharmacy Group Co-founder John Saywell says corporate chains are squeezing out small local chemists. "Bigger and cheaper isn't always better, and in healthcare, it's a good idea to keep the business interests separate from the care and the local

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2:38

Sharon Zollner: ANZ chief economist on the bank...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/13

The country's largest bank is now forecasting three Official Cash Rate hikes before the election. ANZ is predicting three consecutive increases in July, September, and October - bringing the OCR from 2.25 percent to 3 percent. A week ago, most economists were expecting the central bank to keep the OCR on hold until December. But the Reserve Bank's hawkish tone is prompting most to change their forecasts. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner says there's a lot of 'medium-term' uncertainty as concerns

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4:39

Sam Dickie: Fisher Funds expert ahead of Kevin...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/09

President Donald Trump named Kevin Warsh as his choice for Federal Reserve chair earlier in the year, and he's set to have an impact on the US economy. Warsh's confirmation hearing is set to take place next Wednesday and there's speculation growing about what this means for interest rates. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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3:08

Karl Dean: Federated Farmers Dairy Chair on the...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/09

Federated Farmers says farmers are experiencing fuel shortages, with some two to three weeks behind their normal fuel drops. The US and Iran have reached a two-week ceasefire, and negotiations are planned in Pakistan this week, on a longer term settlement. Federated Farmers Dairy Chair Karl Dean says there's no signs of this going away amid the ongoing uncertainty. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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4:26

Jamie Mackay: The Country host on the global...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/09

New Zealand sheep and beef farmers are set to see strong returns for the 25/26 season, but there's global factors impacting the outlook. Concerns have been raised over the US tariffs situation and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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3:19

Bryan Wall: Product test journalist on the research...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/09

Consumer NZ says ongoing mechanical problems put Fords to the top of its list of the worst cars to own. The US brand produced the two least reliable cars - in its survey of almost 6,000 owners. The Focus and Escape Models won the top spots. Product test journalist, Bryan Wall, says out of all cars, they had the most major faults reported. "Their cars were off-road for, probably, an extended period of time, because the engine wasn't working or the gearbox had failed or there's an electrical problem."

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2:40

Richard Corney: Flight Coffee co-founder on the...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/09

Flat whites are out and iced coffees are in - and there's a wide range of factors behind this change. Cafes across the nation have noticed an uptick in younger customers reaching for cold drinks over hot. Flight Coffee co-founder Richard Corney says there's been a rise in people buying iced drinks, as well as chilled RTD coffees. "I don't have stats off the top of my head in terms of value now, but we've definitely seen a big consumer shift in how coffee's being consumed - mainly lead by Gen Z."

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7:52

Hannah McQueen: Age Brightly founder with her tips...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/09

It's important to make the right choices where it counts - and downsizing for retirement is one of those key decisions. One expert says it's important to make sure you start planning the journey before you're ready, in order to make the right choices. Age Brightly founder Hannah McQueen joined the Afternoons team to explain further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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4:57

Jenee Tibshraeny: NZ Herald Wellington business...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/08

The Reserve Bank says it's still unclear what today's Iran ceasefire announcement - and resulting dramatic fall in oil prices - mean for New Zealand. The central bank's held the Official Cash Rate unchanged, at 2.25 percent. It's working off the assumption inflation will surge to 4.2 percent this quarter. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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3:13

Brendan Larsen: Milford Asset Management expert on...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/08

Both US President Donald Trump and Iran have portrayed the last minute ceasefire deal as a victory for their nations. The nations accepted Pakistan's proposal to pause fighting two weeks and Iran's agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Milford Asset Management expert Brendan Larsen says shares in the US, Australia and New Zealand have gone up off the back of the news. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5:34

Neil Webster: Employment Hero spokesperson on the...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/08

AI is taking up a significant role in New Zealand's employment operations, and one Kiwi company has opened up about the process. Employment Hero, which specialises in recruitment software, has revealed that AI has screened tens of thousands of CVs each month and overseen 1000 job interviews in March. Employment Hero's Neil Webster says business owners have revealed prospective employees have also used AI in the recruitment process - and hiring managers will manually check any candidate that seems

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3:21

Carol Yarrow: Cooladdi resident on selling...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/08

The two residents of Australia's smallest town have decided to sell up and move on. Cooladdi is a nine-hour drive west of Brisbane, and the new owner will be expected to keep busy - working as a postie, publican, motelier, restaurateur and shopkeeper. One of Cooladdi's residents, Carol Yarrow, says the town is on Australia's longest road, and it sees lots of people come through every day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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4:44

Anna Breman: Reserve Bank Governor on whether the...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/08

The Reserve Bank says there are still plenty of unknowns, after today's Iran ceasefire announcement and resultant oil price drop. It's held the Official Cash Rate at 2.25 percent, but is forecasting inflation could surge to 4.2 percent this quarter. Governor Anna Breman says that figure could be much lower if things settle in the Middle East. But she says if not, fuel costs could rise more, pushing inflation even higher. "The worst case scenario is that firms that are already squeezed feel like they

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4:03

Katherine Rich: BusinessNZ CEO on the weakening...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/07

A weaker dollar's helping commodity prices. ANZ’s Commodity Price Index hit a record high in March, rising 6.4% as the dollar weakened 2.8%. Global prices rose 4.1% – the second-highest monthly rise on record. BusinessNZ CEO Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking on the surface, higher prices look positive for exporters, but they're also facing much higher costs. She says the weaker dollar boosts export return but also makes imports more expensive. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

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6:59

Nick Leggett: Infrastructure NZ chief executive on...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/07

One expert says it's important Auckland makes the most of what it has in terms of infrastructure, rather than daydreaming about future mega-projects. Infrastructure New Zealand is calling for more investment in Auckland's transport woes in order to boost the city's productivity. CEO Nick Leggett says Auckland needs to unlock the right tools to make the most of the city - and said a congestion charge is needed to fund more infrastructure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

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3:23

Jamie Mackay: The Country host on the sheep and beef...

Best of Business ·

2026/04/07

The average sheep and beef farm is forecast to make double what they did last year - according to new projections. The Mid-Season Update by Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Economic Service is forecasting an average profit before tax for 2025-26 of $287,600 per farm, following two difficult seasons for the sector. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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3,595 results

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