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Fletcher Building, the biggest company on the NZX, expects operating earnings to grow by as much as 22 percent in the 2013 financial year as new home construction accelerates and the firm keeps a lid on costs. The shares rose to $7.65, their highest level since October last year. The Auckland-based company sees operating earnings of between $560 million and …

By Colum Rice, Craig Armitage Historic sweeping changes at the helm of China’s ruling communist party signals the beginning of a new era for the Chinese people and a once in a decade opportunity for New Zealand to consolidate its relationship with the emerging economic powerhouse. Last week, Xi Jinping was confirmed as the man to lead China after being …

PROGRESS ON THE FISCAL CLIFF?  Global markets are taking a breather from worrying about Southern Europe . Greece , Spain et al will be back, but in the meantime, headlines regarding the US “fiscal cliff” are grabbing all the attention. On Friday, there were some positive ones that turned market sentiment around. Republican House Speaker John Boehner said his meeting with President Obama …

New Zealand’s manufacturing sector returned to a minor level of expansion in October, although the sector remains in a flat state, according to the latest BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). The seasonally adjusted PMI for October was 50.5 (a PMI reading above 50.0 indicates that manufacturing is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining).  This was 2.0 …

By Pattrick Smellie New Zealand’s plantation forestry estate represents a major opportunity for New Zealand to become more self-sufficient in transport fuels, says the latest report from the Pure Advantage business lobby group seeking support for a “green growth” push in New Zealand. However, a “crisis of faith” in the forestry industry could stymie the newly emerging potential of forestry – …

EUROPE REMAINS IN THE SPOTLIGHT, WITH ONE EYE ON GROWTH AND THE OTHER ON GREECE: Headlines on Greece ’s next tranche of aid and how to meet the predicted shortfall again generated some volatility in markets overnight. Policymakers seem to be making slow progress, although no final decision about the disbursement of the next tranche of aid will be made until …

By Charles Finny As predicted in my last contribution to newzealandinc.com  President Obama made it home and will run the United States for another four years.  The Republicans have some lessons to learn and uncomfortable facts to digest, particularly around the changing demographics in the United States.  To win election to the Presidency the Republicans need to soften their stance …

By Ernest Z. Bower Forty-eight hours after winning reelection to a second term, President Barack Obama announced he would visit three countries in mainland Southeast Asia—Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand—from November 17 to 20. Actions speak louder than words; the visit shouts Obama’s intent for a purposeful focus on Asia in his second term. This is not a typical Asia visit …

A quiet clean-out of the Solid Energy board has begun, with two resignations by directors filed with the Companies Office this week and the appointment of an experienced Australian mining expert, Neville Sneddon, to the board. Deputy chairman John Fletcher, who has served on the Solid Energy board since May 2007, has resigned with six months still to run on …