New Zealand consumer confidence edged up in March with both current and future measures increasing.   The ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index rose to 124.6 in March from 124 in February. The current conditions index advanced to 123.7 from 123, while the future conditions index gained to 125.3 from 124.6.   “Amidst some volatility from month to month, the underlying …

By Fran O’Sullivan, Alexander Speirs Fonterra’s Lukas Paravicini was on the money when he warned this month that the global supply and demand balance for dairy was still fragile. Fonterra’s farmer shareholders — like other milk producers in New Zealand – had been looking forward to a continuation in this year’s upswing for prices at the GlobalDairyTrade auction, as the …

A resurgence in property prices means LVR ‘speed limits’ are like to stay in place, Standard & Poor’s says in a report that predicts banks will continue to post strong earnings growth while trading in the shadow of a “heightened risk” of a future property crash.   “The relatively low level of credit losses over the next two-to-three years will continue, underpinning …