The SME Stream

AI is getting a lot of attention, but for many businesses the real challenge isn't the technology - it’s knowing what to trust in order to achieve their ambitions.
In this episode of The SME Stream Podcast, Wilhelmina O'Keeffe talks with Nicky Preston about the findings from the latest One NZ AI Trust Report. They explore why trust is becoming critical to successful AI adoption, where AI is genuinely helping SMEs today, and how businesses can use it in practical, low-risk ways without compromising customer confidence.
This episode is brought to you by One NZ.
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The OCR has risen, but does that automatically mean your mortgage rate will rise with it?
Economist and commentator Bernard Hickey explains what really drives fixed mortgage rates, why New Zealand’s banks remain exceptionally profitable, and whether the Reserve Bank has moved too soon while the economy remains weak.
He also decodes the jargon surrounding monetary policy — including hawks, doves, neutral rates, LVRs and DTIs — and considers whether New Zealand can build a functioning economy without relying on house prices to keep climbing.
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Rabobank’s Sydney-based senior strategist, global economics and markets, on the Reserve Bank’s OCR hike and its implications for inflation, interest rates and economic growth. Picton also discusses renewed Middle East tensions, rising oil prices and the outlook for further rate increases.
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Microsoft is cutting 4800 jobs - about two percent of its global workforce - in a sweeping restructure.
Most cuts are part of a restructure of its struggling Xbox gaming division.
It's the latest in a string of mass layoffs by the tech giant alongside major investment in AI.
Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained the implications of this move.
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