Markets, Mystics and Mayhem

We demystify what's happening with the Kiwi dollar, with a bit of help. We're joined by Hamish Wilkinson (Wilkie) and Adrian Lodge (Lodgey), who are two recurring guests on the podcast and both Senior Dealers in the Kiwibank Financial Markets Team. Between them, Adrian and Hamish have over 40 years of currency moves' wisdom to share.
Global interest rates are rising, and New Zealand is a small cork in a big ocean. We discuss how US and Australian central bank policy influences the Kiwi dollar.
The economic outlook is highly dependent on how well our importers and exporters can balance their books. A weak Kiwi currency is good news for tourism, but bad news for importers and for the fuel price.
We mention our latest FX Tactical, and Hamish and Adrian helped us write it. Read all our insights and theirs here.

Hosted by Jarrod Kerr, Alexandra Turcu and Elliott Lowe. Follow our economic commentary & insights here.
Any views or information shared in this podcast, while given in good faith, aren't necessarily the view of Kiwibank.

The New Zealand economy squeezed out 0.2% growth over the June quarter. Not a massive number, but it's good to see it being positive at all!
Construction was a key driver of growth. Consumer spending took a hit in light of high petrol prices, a slow housing market and a weak labour market. While the economy has proven resilient, we still caution against more interest rate hikes.
Is the grass greener in New Zealand after all? July's tourism numbers suggest yes! July officially marks the first time that 2019 tourism arrivals has been exceeded, and we're excited for the bumper summer season ahead.

Hosted by Jarrod Kerr, Alexandra Turcu and Elliott Lowe. Follow our economic commentary & insights here.
 
Any views or information shared in this podcast, while given in good faith, aren't necessarily the view of Kiwibank.

Approximately 40% of Kiwi aren’t contributing to Kiwisaver (30% when you exclude those under 18 and those retired). We dive into what could improve Kiwisaver investment with Greg Smith, Investment Specialist at Generate.

We delve into the age-old debate between passive vs active investing. We also tackle AI investment and how fear and uncertainty can drive the (terrible) decision to stop investing all together.

When it comes to the future, we like making big calls. Greg calls what he sees in the economy a “green tinge”, the pre-curser for actual “green shoots”.

Hosted by Jarrod Kerr, Alexandra Turcu and Elliott Lowe. Follow our economic commentary & insights here.

Any views or information shared in this podcast, while given in good faith, aren't necessarily the view of Kiwibank.

The Reserve Bank delivered a 25-basis point hike, taking the interest rate to 2.75%, as expected. But we are happy that they are looking at the future through a more dovish lens. 

Export-supported regions and sectors have performed well. Consumer spending on the other hand, not so much. A strengthening of the economic recovery is important, but we're still waiting for it to broaden, too.

A soft labour market is key to this RBNZ decision, and for the next two meetings coming up this year. Unemployment data looks grim. And over one in six young people in the labour force were unemployed in the June quarter.
Hosted by Jarrod Kerr, Alexandra Turcu and Elliott Lowe. Follow our economic commentary & insights here.

Any views or information shared in this podcast, while given in good faith, aren't necessarily the view of Kiwibank.

The days of getting a university degree and automatically landing a good job are over. So what should we be doing about it? We are joined by AUT Senior Lecturer, Educator and Economist Lloyd Gutteridge, to discuss the plight of young Kiwi students and the job market they are landing in.
 
Kiwi innovation is alive and well. One solution to New Zealand's economic woes could be the resurgence of innovative social enterprises, especially in the regions. The biggest threat to young people now is a loss of curiosity and drive. This places educators under the spotlight as they help students navigate the age of AI.
 
When we talk about scarce resources, in the age of information we have to talk about attention. And as the proportion of neurodiverse kids increases, teaching has to adapt. Could a move back to pen and paper be part of the answer?

Hosted by Jarrod Kerr, Alexandra Turcu and Elliott Lowe. Follow our economic commentary & insights here.

Any views or information shared in this podcast, while given in good faith, aren't necessarily the view of Kiwibank.