Stories by Nicholas Pointon
News
Financial sector leaks in Australian media hurt retail investors - Shareholders' Association
A growing trend for the leaking of sensitive financial information in Australian media has drawn the ire of a shareholders' body and stock exchange regulator.
Home EV smart charger trial offers power grid solutions - Vector
Drains on the power grid from the transition to electric vehicles may be offset as lines company Vector expands a promising trial.
Deprived travel agencies await trans-Tasman sales
The opening of a trans-Tasman travel bubble will not be enough to revive the travel advisory industry in the short term.
'There's just no explanation for it': Manufacturing companies question hike in power prices
Wholesale power prices are nearly seven times higher than they were a year ago, reaching as high as $500 (MWh) in the past fortnight, according to data from an energy consultancy firm.
Covid-19: Business failure numbers still below pre-pandemic levels
Fears that the pandemic would prompt a wave of business failures have not come to fruition, yet.
Covid-19 mortgage deferral scheme ends after almost a year
Data out from the credit reporting firm Centrix shows that at its peak 54,000 people had about 80,000 mortgages on deferral, which is about 7 percent of all mortgages.
Computer chip shortage: No relief for New Zealand's GPC until 2022
The dearth of chips had seen the likes of General Motors and Ford temporarily close factories and it had even delayed the roll-out of the latest iPhone.
Nearly 4000 mortgages remain on deferral scheme as it comes to an end
The mortgage deferral scheme, set up by the government during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, ends on 31 March.
Lumino dental firm email hack: Patient information accessed
A dental company with 120 practices nationwide is confident a data breach at a Wellington surgery was an isolated incident.
Housing affordability: IMF recommends capital gains tax
The International Monetary Fund has praised the economy's performance in response to Covid-19, but warns it is vulnerable to a housing downturn.
Australian cryptocurrency Qoin makes marketing push in New Zealand
An Australia-based cryptocurrency appears to be making a marketing push in this country amid criticism about its operations in its home base.
RBNZ cyber breach: Accellion remains tight-lipped on timing of comms
The software firm at the centre of a cyber breach won't be drawn on whether it kept the Reserve Bank in the dark about a fault in its systems.
Firms' technical debt rising after lockdown rush for digital upgrades
Many businesses that rushed out to buy new software ahead of the first lockdown are finding themselves with expensive technology they no longer have use for, according a report.
Building material shortages amid Covid-19 causing delays
Plumbing, electrical and glass suppliers are all reporting difficulties getting their hands on basic materials because supply lines had been stretched by the pandemic.
Reserve Bank warned of cyber vulnerability weeks before breach
The Reserve Bank was warned about a critical problem in its file-sharing service weeks before a major breach, it has been revealed
Reserve Bank of New Zealand says it wasn't directly targeted in cyber attack
Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr says the cyber attack that breached RBNZ data systems was the result of the hacking of Acellion, a third-party provider of secure file sharing services.
Bitcoin hits record high, surpassing $NZ30,000
The cryptocurrency had been on a march this past week, rising about 18 percent to reach $NZ32,000.
Privacy questions over insurer's driving app
Tower said its GoCarma app is a way for drivers to potentially lower their insurance excess, but critics warn it intrudes on privacy and it is unclear who is really getting the benefit.
Retirement Commissioner says commercial model needs reform
The retirement commissioner is looking at a shake-up of the retirement sector, saying the current commercial model needs to change.
Cryptocurrency scheme under investigation in NZ
The Commerce Commission is investigating a cryptocurrency multi-level marketing scheme, known as Lion's Share.
Most businesses complying with wage subsidy scheme rules
Of the 10,401 wage subsidy audits completed, just under 1000 businesses have been required to make a partial or full repayment of the wage subsidy.
Bitcoin on rise again as crypto investor demographic changes
A new demographic of investors have been flocking to buy Bitcoin in the wake of the pandemic, driving the cryptocurrency to a three-year high.
NZ-based Consumer lending company Harmoney has lacklustre stock exchange debut
The company's shares were trading at $AU3.26, 7 percent below the $AU3.50 issue price in Australia, and at $NZ3.70 in New Zealand, about 1 percent lower.
Foreign investment fell by 70 percent in first 6 months of 2020
Local private equity firms may benefit from a closed border, as it restricts foreign competition from the New Zealand investment market.
ANZ joins ASB in reintroducing LVR for investors
ANZ has become the second bank to reimpose limits on low-deposit lending to property investors.