Latest from Asset sales

Govt Air NZ selldown still in hangar
The Government is still working through the best way to sell down its stake in Air New Zealand but says it will be a faster sales process than the power companies.

Meridian listing due next month
The Government's decision to move earlier than signalled on the Meridian Energy float shows there is positive interest in the float but pricing will remain key

Meridian listing date announced
The Government has today announced a timeline for the Meridian float, in which it hopes to raise around $2.3 billion.

Treasury rejected Tiwai Point plan
Treasury advised the Government not to pay the owners of the Tiwai Point smelter to keep the business running, documents released this afternoon show.

Journal won't be lost in closure
Prime Minister John Key said yesterday that the School Journal would continue despite the decision to close the state-owned enterprise that produced it.

Brian Rudman: Key in for mauling as asset sales hit centre stage
If history is any guide, the upcoming referendum on the sale of state owned assets will achieve a huge vote in favour of no more sale.

Meridian bonanza tipped
Investors in soon-to-be-floated Meridian Energy could receive a net dividend yield of up to 6.8 per cent, based on analyst valuations.

Referendum to be held on asset sales
Five months after the first share float of Mighty River Power a referendum on asset sales is to go ahead - news accidentally tweeted by the Greens co-leader.

Helen Twose: Finance role not just numbers
For a man who claims to have become an accountant out of sheer laziness, Paul Chambers has a lot on his plate.

The power player - Mark Binns
No sooner had Mark Binns taken over as chief executive of Meridian Energy in January last year, than he was confronted with the lowest inflows into its hydro lakes in more than 80 years.

Mighty River shares up as profit rises
Mighty River shares are up nearly 2 per cent this morning after a good profit announcement.

Mighty River shares slump to new low
Shares in Mighty River Power traded at $2.18 this morning, their lowest point since listing on May 10.

Brian Gaynor: Mighty River makes Meridian a hard sell
Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English have revealed a new strategy for the Meridian Energy share offering.

Govt sugars Meridian deal
The Government has turned up the sweeteners to attract retail investors to the Meridian Energy sharemarket float but analysts say punters need to remain wary of the potential downsides.

Tamsyn Parker: Buyer beware the Meridian float
Markets writer Tamsyn Parker says details for Meridian Energy's share market float provide both a huge incentive and the potential for a huge disaster for investors, writes Tamsyn Parker.

Meridian float - 60pc up front
Details of the Meridian Energy share float have been released, and new shareholders will only have to pay 60 per cent up front for a stake in our biggest power company.

Solid Energy to cut 93 more jobs
Ninety-three people will lose their jobs at Huntly East Underground Mine in more cutbacks announced today by struggling State-owned coal miner Solid Energy.

John Armstrong: Questions on Govt asset fund spending
A Treasury document obtained by Labour details a host of "initiatives" in this year's Budget which would be paid for by the asset sales fund, writes John Armstrong.

Asset sales: Where the money is going
Funding generated by the Government's asset sales programme now extends to the $40 million bill for the Mighty River share loyalty bonus scheme.

Stock Takes: Smelter deal clears way for Meridian listing
Meridian's deal with Rio Tinto to keep the Tiwai Point smelter open until January 2017 has cleared the way for its sharemarket listing.

Meridian IPO tipped for late Oct
Meridian Energy could be listed on the sharemarket before the end of October after clearing a big hurdle by finalising contract talks over the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter.