Weak credit demand could curtail earnings growth for the big New Zealand banks, says credit rating agency Standard and Poor's.

Academic says it's important for banks to be seen as socially responsible.

The danger in that case would be that, as in the global financial crisis three years ago, everyone in the market starts looking sideways at their counterparts and worrying about how much they might be exposed.

Ash clouds and fresh quakes boost the need for strong leadership.

Households at risk of slow wage growth combined with rising costs.

New Zealand banks have been raising billions of dollars in recent weeks by doing something their Australian parent companies can not yet legally do - issue covered bonds.

John Key and Alan Bollard are the short-term masters of our puny universe of an economy.

The New Zealand dollar rose as high as 82.97 US cents in New York overnight, the highest level since the currency...