NBR | Independent business news, Finance, Investment, Tech, Law

Māori dealmaking reflects an intrinsic need to take a holistic, long-term view of asset ownership, but without neglecting conventional commercial imperatives.

Mike McRoberts Wed, 14 Oct 2026

Ngāi Tahu, Movac partner on $40m strategy

Movac will manage Ngāi Tahu’s existing venture capital portfolio and help identify businesses the iwi can back for the long term.

Mike McRoberts Tue, 29 Sep 2026

New Aquaculture Act pitched for $10b industry

Industry and iwi leaders are being asked to help shape a standalone regime intended to attract billions of dollars into open ocean farming.

Mike McRoberts Fri, 25 Sep 2026

Primary Industries

Foodtech startup Ovāvo hunts for a lead investor

The avocado powder company is raising between $2.4m and $5m to accelerate growth.

Kate McVicar Fri, 16 Oct 2026

Kiwi Crunch ripples spread to Australia

An ASX-listed company and former Cherri Global owner Phil Alison are among those claiming to be owed millions.

Karyn Scherer Wed, 07 Oct 2026

Foran mulls competitive supply-demand pressure for red meat

Kroger’s new CEO says American consumers still value quality cuts of meat amid the high cost of living and rising fuel prices.

Jonathan Mitchell Tue, 29 Sep 2026

Australia

NAB to cut up to 2500 jobs; no impact on BNZ

The bank says its New Zealand subsidiary is not affected by the restructure announced today.

NBR Staff Tue, 20 Oct 2026

RBA posts A$8.5b annual loss

The result is the second-largest loss in the bank’s history, coming after a A$36b loss during the pandemic.

Lachlan Colquhoun Fri, 16 Oct 2026

Asic criticises PwC and EY over Aussie super fund audits

The regulator continues to find issues in the auditing of private and unlisted assets held by Australia’s A$4.8 trillion retirement industry.

Lachlan Colquhoun Wed, 14 Oct 2026

Tech & Innovation

SupaHuman raises $2.6m to bolster vocational training with AI

Dave Howden’s AI startup didn't need to raise capital, but speed is of the essence, he says, if NZ wants workers to be adaptable to AI pressures.

Will Mace Wed, 21 Oct 2026

Data Vault plans new data centre for North Shore

The company sees an opportunity for the mid-sized data centres.

Anan Zaki Tue, 20 Oct 2026

Daisy Lab heads global after acquisition

The alternative dairy firm’s founders now transition into broader roles within the Mycofeast Group.

Jonathan Mitchell Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Law

Link takes founding director to court for alleged breaches

Aaron Toresen resigned in April from the business brokerage firm he helped build, but is accused of adhering to only the first three months of a six-month restraint-of-trade clause.

Brent Melville Wed, 21 Oct 2026

Both sides claim win from FNZ court ruling

A giant employee shareholder lawsuit against the fintech and its directors takes a small step forward.

Tim Hunter Tue, 20 Oct 2026

Burning issue for employment lawyers

The swing away from employees’ rights to bring personal grievances towards employers raised fiery debate at the Employment Law Forum.

Fiona Rotherham Tue, 20 Oct 2026

Finance

Kernel boss floats $5000 tax-free KiwiSaver threshold

Dean Anderson says he is not a fan of Act’s KiwiSaver policy, during a panel discussion at Investors Association New Zealand conference.

Nicholas Pointon Fri, 23 Oct 2026

KiwiSaver 'on the precipice of something great', Aussies told

A Sydney conference hears that, regardless of which party wins government, KiwiSaver is set to become a bigger part of New Zealand's financial sector.

Lachlan Colquhoun Thu, 22 Oct 2026

Westpac backs non-bank lender with $150m, more could follow

MB Private was founded by Marcus Morrison, who helped steer Sydney-based private lender Zagga Group to originate more than A$3b in loans.

Brent Melville Wed, 14 Oct 2026

The NBR Podcast

Podcast #126: The Firmus flop

LISTEN/WATCH: What went wrong with the blockbuster proposed IPO of the Aussie data centre startup?

Simon Shepherd Tue, 20 Oct 2026

Podcast #125: Dealmakers 2026

LISTEN/WATCH: Should tech companies go public or stay private when it comes to raising money?

Simon Shepherd Tue, 13 Oct 2026

Podcast #124: Treasury boss Iain Rennie

LISTEN/WATCH: What does the Prefu mean for you and is it already out of date?

Simon Shepherd Tue, 06 Oct 2026

General Business

Market flounders as AI sentiment sours

It was another tough week for tech stocks exposed to the AI trade.

Nicholas Pointon Sat, 24 Oct 2026

Quick Takes of the Week to October 23

In case you missed it: News bites for the week.

NBR Staff Fri, 23 Oct 2026

Wall Street slumps as Meta’s AI spending unnerves investors

Europe’s Kering and Prada face challenging times for luxury goods.

Curious News Fri, 23 Oct 2026

Deals

Five V Capital set to acquire majority stake in First AML

The co-founders of the Kiwi company are said to be rolling over their shareholding.

NBR Staff Wed, 21 Oct 2026

Indici deal part of Lanas Healthcare’s plan to double in size

The global healthtech company plans to invest $150 million in New Zealand healthcare technology over the next two years, including its acquisition of Indici.

Fiona Rotherham Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Dealmakers 2026: Adviser focus – Arcbridge Partners

Co-founder Andrew Barron says there is overwhelming interest in New Zealand assets from overseas investors.

Hamish McNicol Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Tourism

Hensman, Thomas families cash out on Skyline’s casino sale

Major shareholders will take about a third of the $34m special dividend after the sale of what was considered an underperforming business.

Brent Melville Mon, 19 Oct 2026

Sam Arnaout pays out: Christchurch Casino moves into Aussie hands

The casino is a foothold for Arnaout, whose portfolio includes the Canberra Casino and Lasseters at Alice Springs.

Brent Melville Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Signs Chinese tourism’s rebounding, Auckland Airport says

Chief customer officer Scott Tasker says it is expecting record capacity from China this summer.

Anan Zaki Wed, 14 Oct 2026

Infrastructure

Projects for architects, designers, yet to spill into build work

New industry survey shows almost a third of builders are still sitting with a forward order book of less than three months.

Brent Melville Fri, 16 Oct 2026

NZ should be ‘eating US’s lunch’ on data centres, Morrison says

Paul Newfield believes ‘hundreds of billions’ of dollars worth of investment could be headed to Australia/NZ.

Brent Melville Wed, 14 Oct 2026

Brookfield offloads port logistics firm C3 to InfraRed

Canadian-owned asset manager says the deal comes in at the ‘lower end’ of its infrastructure fund’s US$100m to $300m range.

Brent Melville Thu, 08 Oct 2026

Property

US private equity firm drops out of Fletcher Living race

Cerberus calls its quits and Asian bidder emerges, as sale of country’s largest ‘vertically integrated’ home builder speculated at between $500m and $800m.

Brent Melville Thu, 22 Oct 2026

Squirrel optimistic about housing market as it eyes NZX listing

Squirrel founder John Bolton believes the residential housing market will gradually improve.

Anan Zaki Mon, 19 Oct 2026

Master Builders reject 77% of applicants as standards lift

High-profile failures, along with ‘low consequences’ of liquidations, has seen trade association tighten its membership procedures.

Brent Melville Mon, 19 Oct 2026

Professional Services

Bell Gully backs a human to oversee AI rollout

Partner Richard Massey has been appointed to a new role as AI lead at the law firm.

Hamish McNicol Fri, 23 Oct 2026

European buyers emerge as M&A pushes through the headwinds

PwC’s latest quarterly M&A activity report shows a material drop in deal volumes.

Hamish McNicol Tue, 20 Oct 2026

Dealmakers 2026: Adviser focus – Barrenjoey New Zealand

The nation’s newest investment bank still has some work to do to get humming, but the stage is set for an interesting industry realignment.

Will Mace Fri, 16 Oct 2026

NBR Focus

Dealmakers 2026: Making IPOs great again

ANALYSIS: The NZX’s first public listing since 2021, Lodestone Energy, highlights the impact of regulatory changes to capital markets.

Hamish McNicol Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Dealmakers 2026: Why trade SMEs are back in fashion

ANALYSIS: Prospective buyers are wary of how AI could impact a business.

Kate McVicar Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Dealmakers 2026: Adviser focus – Grant Thornton

Partner Richard Hughes on a ‘really cautious, careful year’, and approaching a pricing equilibrium.

Kate McVicar Thu, 15 Oct 2026

Retail

Retail giant Hallenstein Glasson accused of ‘ripping off’ designs

Young fashion designers claim similarities between their products and clothes sold by the listed company.

Kate McVicar Thu, 22 Oct 2026

Queens Arcade reopening pushed out to early next year

The central city shopping precinct backed by former Rich Listers closed earlier this year for a $5m renovation.

Kate McVicar Mon, 07 Sep 2026

Wallace Cotton mulls expanding overseas again

A previous attempt thwarted by Covid hasn’t put the company off trying another time.

Kate McVicar Mon, 31 Aug 2026

Luxury Property

Dunphy’s Herne Bay move, Meehan downsizes, Herberts cash out

Beleaguered residential developer Chris Meehan has relocated to Ponsonby after selling his Herne Bay home for more than double its rating valuation.

Brent Melville Thu, 08 Oct 2026

Penthouse for a song, a slip of an island, Hawke’s Bay winery

Off-plan buyers into St Heliers Sonata paid top dollar for the luxury apartments.

Brent Melville Wed, 26 Aug 2026

Fantasy in Featherston, finding Eden, and a Bali ‘black book’

Historic Longwood estate hits the market near Martinborough, though it’s probably not on a golden visa buyer’s radar.

Brent Melville Wed, 29 Jul 2026

Aviation News

Airlines face fleet renewal delays through to 2030

Carry On: Airbus forecast, Boeing deliveries, VietJet sued, new routes.

Nevil Gibson Sat, 24 Oct 2026

BA’s retrofitted A380s to have largest business cabin

Carry On: Riyadh attacks, Airbus and Boeing orders, new routes.

Nevil Gibson Sat, 17 Oct 2026

Starlux to offer trans-Tasman leg on new Taipei-Auckland service

Carry On: Flydubai suspension after hijacking attempt, Embraer’s best quarter, new routes.

Nevil Gibson Sat, 10 Oct 2026

Energy

Z Energy warns 'far less room for error' as oil prices rise

Chief executive Lindis Jones suggests more upward pressure on retail fuel prices.

Jonathan Mitchell Fri, 02 Oct 2026

Analysts highlight ‘exciting growth path’ for Lodestone

Although there are warnings it may take time for investors to get comfortable with how long that growth takes.

Anan Zaki Mon, 28 Sep 2026

Act Party proposes private investment in transmission

Energy policy aims to promote affordable electricity by improving competition.

NBR Staff Fri, 18 Sep 2026

The Oravida export company co-founded by Shi has launched a sustainability campaign for its controversial artesian water business, commissioning 286 ground-mounted solar panels at its Eastern Bay of Plenty bottling plant.

Owen Poland Fri, 23 Oct 2026

Featured Rich Listers: Porter family

The Porter family have moved into Australia with the opening of a new flagship headquarters near Brisbane.

Owen Poland Thu, 22 Oct 2026

Featured Rich Listers: McPhail family

With the appointment of a new board chair for their LeaderBrand business, the McPhails want to inject new drive into the company as it celebrates its 50th year.

Owen Poland Wed, 21 Oct 2026

Marketing & Media

MediaWorks radio sold to ASX-listed Sports Entertainment Group

Binding agreement signed at an enterprise value of $130 million for a stable of New Zealand's most popular radio stations.

Will Mace Wed, 12 Aug 2026

Stuff sells Petone printing plant to NZME

The media company said earlier this year it was closing the Wellington printing press as it consolidated print operations in Christchurch.

NBR Staff Fri, 07 Aug 2026

MediaWorks said to be up for sale as it gets back in the black

A report from across the Tasman says the radio broadcaster’s private equity owner is soliciting bids for the business.

NBR Staff Tue, 21 Apr 2026

Comings & Goings

Lane Neave announces senior appointments

Emily Crutchley joins as a special counsel in the Employment Law team, and Josh Ioelu as a senior associate in the Banking and Finance team.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026

Anthony Harper welcomes two new partners

Tom Montgomerie and Natalie Summerfield will be based in the firm’s Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland office.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026

Shane O’Hare appointed chair of NZ Airports

He brings more than 40 years of experience in international aviation and tourism to the role.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026

Grocers take the duopoly bull by the horns as Govt action looms

Grocers take the duopoly bull by the horns as Govt action looms

The Act Party’s plan to boost supermarket competition

Competition for supermarket reform heats up

Free News Alerts

Economist says NZ Super not as expensive as some claim

Economist says NZ Super not as expensive as some claim

Halter raise contributes to record half for startup funding

Halter raise contributes to record half for startup funding

Podcast #127: The $15 million online casino bet

Podcast #127: The $15 million online casino bet

Breaking up hard to do for employees wearing different hats

The floor and ceiling of AI adoption

Featured Rich Lister: Philip Carter

Political parties put out their plans as early voting begins

Data centre backlash forces NextDC chair to quit

New Zealand’s most telling economic statistic

Podcast #127: The $15 million online casino bet

Grocers take the duopoly bull by the horns as Govt action looms

Economist says NZ Super not as expensive as some claim

Halter raise contributes to record half for startup funding

Breaking up hard to do for employees wearing different hats

The floor and ceiling of AI adoption

Seizing the Opportunity to form the next government

Super Fund loses 17% of its staff in two-year upheaval

Retail giant Hallenstein Glasson accused of ‘ripping off’ designs

Stiassny says Winton ‘not broken’, just ‘badly let down’

Both sides claim win from FNZ court ruling

Political parties put out their plans as early voting begins

NZX exec grilled at Investors Association conference

Failed cleantech company Hydroxys owes creditors $3.1m

Greens plan to spend, tax, and borrow more to fix health crisis

NZ First pitches targeted accelerated depreciation rate of 50%

Stiassny says Winton ‘not broken’, just ‘badly let down’

Santana, Otago council reach deal on road block

Santana, Otago council reach deal on road block

Trevor Janes receives Legacy Beacon Award

Trevor Janes receives Legacy Beacon Award

Loading Lodestone, tinted TradeWindow, floored Rich Listers

Loading Lodestone, tinted TradeWindow, floored Rich Listers

Media focused on personality, not policy

A 'pathway to further tax relief' but no promises

Dealmakers 2026: Here's the biggest M&A deals of 2026

Drink cooler hitting it big in Latin America

Engaging the next generation of NZX Limited listed companies

Can’t have an election campaign without Prefu

Election campaigning starts in earnest

NBR lands settlements with FMA, SFO, DIA; $50k claim against IRD

Green shoots amid the media turmoil

A female-first approach to investing

Nats attempt to rein in supermarkets

Election 2026 - Small Business Debate

Sir Ian Taylor on innovation and the election

Debating the health of the UK economy

The Tenths made whole

RBNZ should hike one more time in this cycle, Citi says

Green Party’s campaign to get the nastiness out of politics

Opportunity aims to build momentum on ‘fertile ground’

NZ First’s mission to make NZ great again

‘Common sense call’ to pause on data centres

Only losers in the Doge wars

Who will talk to Opportunity and will voters ignore inflation?

Sentiment shifts on AI rocket ship

Seizing the Opportunity to form the next government

Investment

NZX 50 dips 0.1% this week as AI spending keeps investors on edge

Lodestone makes ‘solid debut’ in ‘rough’ conditions, analysts say

Michael Hill board disappointed in share price, Fyfe says

Economics

RBNZ primed as inflation tipped to top 4% again before Christmas

Flights, amalgamation on Hamilton's radar

OCR hike ‘firmly’ on table this month, ANZ says

Politics

Business sentiment has soured again, BDO survey finds

NZ First wants more taxpayer funds for video game sector

Act would provide more money for trades training at schools

Te Ao Māori

Dealmakers 2026: why Cardinal sold to a custodian, not a buyer

Ngāi Tahu, Movac partner on $40m strategy

New Aquaculture Act pitched for $10b industry