NZ stocks: CHH's first-quarter result, rubbish on agenda

By PAUL PANCKHURST

On this week's business agenda: inflation figures, Carter Holt Harvey - and a chance to talk some trash.

Inflation figures for the March quarter are due today. Expectations are clustered around 0.5 per cent, which would push the annual rate up a notch to 1.7 per cent.

Construction costs are expected to continue to be a major contributor, and higher petrol and electricity prices.

The biggest downward influence will probably be international air fares.

Also today, applications open for $7.5 million worth of new shares in bee products company Comvita, listed on the AX market, and that market gains a a new member, with the listing of Livestock Improvement.

The country's second largest listed company, Carter Holt Harvey, reports its first quarter result in Sydney on Wednesday.

At sharebroking firm ABN Amro, analyst Dennis Lee is picking earnings before interest and tax of $79 million and a bottom line profit of about $45 million.

The company's shares have been riding high since the announcement of the $1 billion sale of Carter Holt's tissue business and associated joint venture Sancella.

The chance to talk some trash will be at tomorrow's annual meeting in Mt Wellington of Waste Management, New Zealand's biggest waste disposal company.

The company last month reported an $18.5 million profit to December 31, up 23 per cent on the previous year.