Bernard Hickey | interest.co.nz

About

Bernard is back as a senior contributor on interest.co.nz. Until September 30, 2012 he was the managing editor here. He had previously worked for 18 years for Reuters, the FT Group and Fairfax as a financial journalist and editor. He is now the publisher of The Kaka.

Member for

15 years 7 months

Latest articles

Budget deficit lower than forecast

Treasury reports deficit was NZ$121 mln below forecast; higher tobacco excise, lower spending more than offset lower than expected GST, PAYE

23rd Jan 15, 10:38am

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury reports deficit was NZ$121 mln below forecast; higher tobacco excise, lower spending more than offset lower than expected GST, PAYE

Bernard's Top 10

Bernard's Top 10: Good deflation or bad deflation?; Did MTV cut America's teen pregnancy rate?; National's new tax hike; Dilbert

22nd Jan 15, 1:00pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10: Good deflation or bad deflation?; Did MTV cut America's teen pregnancy rate?; National's new tax hike; Dilbert

Smith plans big RMA re-write

Smith proposes 10 part re-write of RMA to boost housing supply; says RMA responsible for extra $30 bln of housing cost and 40,000 fewer homes

21st Jan 15, 9:42pm

by Bernard Hickey

Smith proposes 10 part re-write of RMA to boost housing supply; says RMA responsible for extra $30 bln of housing cost and 40,000 fewer homes

Inflation below RBNZ target

Statistics NZ reports Consumer Price Index fell 0.2% in Dec qtr from Sept qtr; inflation in year to Dec qtr 0.8%; touch below forecasts

21st Jan 15, 10:57am

by Bernard Hickey

Statistics NZ reports Consumer Price Index fell 0.2% in Dec qtr from Sept qtr; inflation in year to Dec qtr 0.8%; touch below forecasts

QSBO shows 'Goldilocks' finish for 2014

NZIER QSBO shows solid business confidence with few inflation pressures; room for RBNZ to leave OCR on hold

20th Jan 15, 10:02am

by Bernard Hickey

NZIER QSBO shows solid business confidence with few inflation pressures; room for RBNZ to leave OCR on hold

The 10 numbers of 2014

Bernard Hickey picks out the Top 10 numbers of 2014 and looks at whether they mean the economy is as 'rock solid' as Bill English suggests

21st Dec 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey picks out the Top 10 numbers of 2014 and looks at whether they mean the economy is as 'rock solid' as Bill English suggests

NZ GDP rises 1.0% in Sept qtr

Stats NZ says NZ GDP rose 1.0% in September quarter from June quarter, slightly above economists' forecasts

18th Dec 14, 11:09am

by Bernard Hickey

Stats NZ says NZ GDP rose 1.0% in September quarter from June quarter, slightly above economists' forecasts

Bernard's Top 10 at 10

Bernard's Top 10: How the boomers pulled up the ladder on the young; Of black swans, oil and the rubble of the rouble; America's dis-inflation shock; Clarke and Dawe; Dilbert

18th Dec 14, 10:39am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10: How the boomers pulled up the ladder on the young; Of black swans, oil and the rubble of the rouble; America's dis-inflation shock; Clarke and Dawe; Dilbert

Treasury forecasts deficit in 2014/15

Treasury forecasts NZ$572 mln OBEGAL deficit for 2014/15; surplus of NZ$575 mln in 2015/16; English says will get to 2014/15 surplus anyway

16th Dec 14, 1:00pm

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury forecasts NZ$572 mln OBEGAL deficit for 2014/15; surplus of NZ$575 mln in 2015/16; English says will get to 2014/15 surplus anyway

Is Wheeler's OCR too tight?

Bernard Hickey looks at whether the Reserve Bank Governor is running monetary policy too tight and how long before he decides surprisingly low inflation is actually structural rather than cyclical

14th Dec 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey looks at whether the Reserve Bank Governor is running monetary policy too tight and how long before he decides surprisingly low inflation is actually structural rather than cyclical

RBNZ not planning more Macro-Pru

RBNZ scotches talk it may develop new Macro-Prudential measures to control Auckland house price inflation; says Auckland now a supply problem

11th Dec 14, 3:08pm

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ scotches talk it may develop new Macro-Prudential measures to control Auckland house price inflation; says Auckland now a supply problem

RBNZ stays tight, NZ$ jumps 1c

RBNZ holds OCR as expected at 3.5%; reduces 90 day interest rate forecast track by 40 bps; warns again that NZ$ unjustifiably high

11th Dec 14, 9:08am

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ holds OCR as expected at 3.5%; reduces 90 day interest rate forecast track by 40 bps; warns again that NZ$ unjustifiably high

Budget deficit NZ$260 mln worse

Treasury reports budget deficit was NZ$260 mln worse than forecast; warns of low dairy payout and inflation impact

10th Dec 14, 10:13am

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury reports budget deficit was NZ$260 mln worse than forecast; warns of low dairy payout and inflation impact

OECD rejects trickle down theory

OECD report finds NZ's inequality surge from 1985 to 2005 reduced GDP growth by 15.5%; English rejects "econometricians magic"

10th Dec 14, 9:58am

by Bernard Hickey

OECD report finds NZ's inequality surge from 1985 to 2005 reduced GDP growth by 15.5%; English rejects "econometricians magic"

Fonterra cuts payout forecast 60c/kg

Fonterra cuts payout forecast for 2014/15 to NZ$4.70/kg from NZ$5.30/kg; NZ$ drops half a cent to 76.6 USc

10th Dec 14, 9:33am

by Bernard Hickey

Fonterra cuts payout forecast for 2014/15 to NZ$4.70/kg from NZ$5.30/kg; NZ$ drops half a cent to 76.6 USc

Govt researching foreign buyer register

English says Land Information NZ has begun looking at the practicalities of a Foreign Buyers Register; English says Govt still on boosting housing supply

9th Dec 14, 12:43pm

by Bernard Hickey

English says Land Information NZ has begun looking at the practicalities of a Foreign Buyers Register; English says Govt still on boosting housing supply

China wants to extradite corrupt officials living in NZ

Key says President Xi Jingping asked for NZ help to extradite number of corrupt Chinese officials living in NZ with ill-gotten gains; working on extradition treaty

8th Dec 14, 5:09pm

by Bernard Hickey

Key says President Xi Jingping asked for NZ help to extradite number of corrupt Chinese officials living in NZ with ill-gotten gains; working on extradition treaty

'The Chinese buying has only just begun'

Juwai CEO says Chinese investment in NZ and other property markets to rise 15-20% in 2015 and 2016; relaxed about foreign buyers register

8th Dec 14, 1:41pm

by Bernard Hickey

Juwai CEO says Chinese investment in NZ and other property markets to rise 15-20% in 2015 and 2016; relaxed about foreign buyers register

How to think about fixed vs floating

Bernard Hickey looks at how to think about whether to fix or float, and what bank economists are saying about interest rates and house prices

8th Dec 14, 1:09pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey looks at how to think about whether to fix or float, and what bank economists are saying about interest rates and house prices

This could go 2 ways

Bernard Hickey looks at why Auckland's property market is getting its second wind just as the high NZ dollar kicks dairy farmers and fishermen in the guts

7th Dec 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey looks at why Auckland's property market is getting its second wind just as the high NZ dollar kicks dairy farmers and fishermen in the guts

Bernard's Top 10

Bernard's Top 10: Britain's new Google Tax; Why petrol taxes should rise to offset lower oil prices; 'Kamikaze Kuroda' and the NZ$; A NZ$6/kg dairy break-even; Dilbert

4th Dec 14, 12:18pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10: Britain's new Google Tax; Why petrol taxes should rise to offset lower oil prices; 'Kamikaze Kuroda' and the NZ$; A NZ$6/kg dairy break-even; Dilbert

RBNZ could use LVRs again-English

English says Reserve Bank could use high LVR limit again or other Macro-Prudential tools to slow Auckland housing boom again, but supply remains key

3rd Dec 14, 4:06pm

by Bernard Hickey

English says Reserve Bank could use high LVR limit again or other Macro-Prudential tools to slow Auckland housing boom again, but supply remains key

2015 Budget to focus on child poverty

Key and Tolley say Budget 2015 will focus on ways to reduce entrenched poverty for 100,000 children; focus on housing, transport, childcare, debt costs

2nd Dec 14, 3:06pm

by Bernard Hickey

Key and Tolley say Budget 2015 will focus on ways to reduce entrenched poverty for 100,000 children; focus on housing, transport, childcare, debt costs

Wheeler re-assesses inflation targeting

RBNZ's Wheeler looks at success of inflation targeting after 25 years; restates that NZ$ unjustifiably high; says Macro-Prudential policy needed to prevent asset booms

1st Dec 14, 10:38am

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ's Wheeler looks at success of inflation targeting after 25 years; restates that NZ$ unjustifiably high; says Macro-Prudential policy needed to prevent asset booms

Break the land bankers

Bernard Hickey argues the Government and Auckland Council should ramp up their attempts to change the expectations of land bankers about constantly rising prices

30th Nov 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey argues the Government and Auckland Council should ramp up their attempts to change the expectations of land bankers about constantly rising prices