The sharemarket has seen a raft of new companies launch on to the exchange in the past 14 months but not all have proved to be winners.

However John Key tries to spin the result, the 67.2 per cent to 32.5 per cent vote against asset sales was emphatic, writes Brian Rudman.

The partial sale of Genesis Energy will go ahead as planned, despite a referendum pointing to public disapproval of asset sales.

Voters have given the Govt's flagship asset sales policy an emphatic thumbs down, ratcheting up pressure for the sale of Genesis Energy to be shelved.

Air New Zealand says its on track to boost earnings by 20 per cent for the first half of the year.

John Key confidently predicted sales would raise more than $7 billion. It's not completed yet but already we are down $1.2b, writes Matt McCarten.

Every registered voter by now will have received postal ballot papers for the referendum on asset sales.

Investors who took up shares in newly listed Mighty River Power and Meridian will take little comfort from PwC's latest report on the electricity sector.

I'm not a fan of binding referendums, writes Brian Rudman. Like mass petitions, they're a one-sided megaphone that is no substitute for the checks and balances built into the parliamentary process.

As PM John Key said yesterday, the citizens-initiated referendum will almost certainly deliver his Government's partial asset sales policy a thumbs-down from the public.

The final stage of the Govt's partial asset sales programme, involving Genesis Energy next year, looks increasingly unlikely to proceed.

Voting begins today in a citizens-initiated referendum on whether the Government should sell part of its stake in power companies and Air New Zealand.

Meridian Energy's instalment receipts fell below their issue price - in early afternoon trading today.

Qantas has launched a scathing attack on the stake that Air NZ have built in Virgin Australia. Grant Bradley looks at why it's got the Flying Roo in a such a flap.

Bill English has thrown the Opposition a curve-ball as they ready themselves for their unofficial three-week campaign to maximise the "no" vote in the referendum on partial asset sales.

Qantas has launched an attack on Air NZ's commercial strategy behind its investment in Virgin - saying it's a foreign bid to destabilise Australian aviation market.

According to the Labour Party leader, David Cunliffe, the timing of the Government's selldown of shares in Air New Zealand is arrogant.

Strong demand for the Air NZ share selldown is expected, but one broker says most will be coming from the bigger institutional investors.

The Government will sell 20 per cent of its stake in Air New Zealand today and tomorrow. The Herald tells you the 11 things you need to know.

Business editor Liam Dann on why the Air NZ share sale is a very different prospect from the SOE partial privatisations.

Opposition parties are warning of higher fares and even a second taxpayer bailout after the Government put another slice of Air NZ on the block.

The Government, fresh from the sale of shares in Mighty River Power and Meridian Energy, faces a harder sell when it comes to divesting a 49 per cent stake in the third and final power generator.