New Zealand consumers are feeling the heat of global economic conditions, with optimism falling for a fourth month in the lead-up to the important Xmas shopping period.

Chorus, now officially demerged from Telecom, has just secured a $1.35b bank facility. Photo / Supplied

ANZ Bank has won an employment fight against 114 workers from ProvencoCadmus, who are trying to get $1.6m in unpaid wages.

ANZ Bank has reported a 25 per cent rise in annual profit in New Zealand, beating the $1 billion barrier with the help of a 59 per cent fall in bad debts.

No one is confessing to being the economist who authored an email about Standard & Poor's that has landed Prime Minister John Key in hot water.

Macquarie analyst says greater cost may come in the long term.

The New Zealand dollar may extend its decline this week as investors, nervous about the slow progress being made on Europe's escalating sovereign debt crisis, sell growth-linked currencies for the relative safety of the greenback.

New Zealand consumers are still upbeat about how the economy is tracking, though their long-term confidence has tapered off in recent times, according to the latest consumer confidence survey.