The government’s planned $11 billion infrastructure spend over the next four years helped lift the two worst-performing stocks in the benchmark Top 50 Index out of the doldrums last week. Metro Performance Glass shares jumped 9.5% while Fletcher Building’s climbed 8.1% last week, although shock profit downgrades mean they’re still the two worst performers in the index. The two stock’s performance helped lift the Top 50 Index 2.5% last week.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/11b-infrastructure-plan-boost-laggards-fletcher-building-and-metroglass-jr-p-202394

Although A2 Milk’s infant formula sales have been soaring, sales of competitors’ products have fallen nearly 20% between July last year and March this year, analysts say. And the strong sales of A2’s Platinum brand of infant formula is despite the product having been out-of-stock in Woolworths and Coles supermarkets in Australia through much of March and April.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-sales-soar-despite-price-rise-out-stocks-competitors-sales-fall-jr-p-202396

Everyone agrees that Callaghan Innovation – the Crown agency which dishes out around $140 million a year in matching R&D “growth grants” – needs to change. But how? A Performance Improvement Framework (PIF) review of Callaghan, released in December, said the agency had “weak and fuzzy management” – and certainly past blunders will be highlighted again on Thursday as the Callaghan v Trends Publishing case goes back to court. NBR questioned why the publisher of glossy advertorial magazines should get research and development funding from the taxpayer. A Callaghan probe saw the Serious Fraud Office brought in.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/callaghan-innovation-rating-suggested-changes-ck-202398-p

It’s no secret that housing affordability is a significant issue for many New Zealand families and our economy as we move towards Budget 2017 and a general election in September. When it comes to providing New Zealanders in need with good-quality, affordable housing, we’re not quite there yet. According to Census statistics, homelessness is worsening in New Zealand; at least one in every 100 New Zealanders were homeless at the 2013 census, an increase from 1 in 120 in 2006, and 1 in 130 in 2001.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/budget-2017-time-rethink-about-renting-p-202358

The government needs to act swiftly to make sure New Zealand doesn’t fall behind other countries in regulating "robo" advice, a law firm says. Robo advice, also called digital or automated advice, is financial advice largely provided through algorithms. It is not regulated in New Zealand.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/robo-advice-regulations-need-come-sooner-law-firm-says-cs-p-202355

Qantas has launched year-round return fares for its new Melbourne-Perth-London direct service, which is the first time the Kangaroo route links Australia with Europe in one hop. Economy fares start at $A2270 but are expected to drop below $A2000 during sale periods. Premium economy return fares start from $A4450 between Melbourne and London and from $A4250 between Perth and London. Business return starts from $A9890 return between Melbourne and London and from $A9725 between Perth and London.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/carry-kangaroo-fares-qatar-laptop-threat-new-a380-services-and-more-ng-202343

The annual Shanghai Motor Show appears to be evolving into a more crucial event with every year that passes. Although both England and Australia’s annual motor shows fell victim to the financial crisis, and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit teeters a little closer to irrelevancy every year, the Shanghai show seems to go from strength to strength.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/motoring-shanghai-surprised-mega-citys-motor-show-taking-limelight

I recently had my anarchism challenged by the question that surely there must be at least one thing that government did well: sure, I replied, myth-making based on lies. No institution comes close. It starts with elections. They don’t reflect the “will of the people.” Elections are the result of people voting every three years among limited options with little information and little or no effort or consequence.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/hidesight-governments-fools-most-people-most-time

In sport, you’re sent off for arguing with the referee. So it should be in politics, where the referees are a bunch of anonymous excel jockeys at Statistics NZ. Statistics NZ boffins are not known for being the most sparkling conversationalists in the Wellington social scene, and neither should they be. But over the years Statistics NZ has earned an unimpeachable reputation for excellence and – even more importantly – for absolute independence from the government, ahead of even the Reserve Bank.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/weekly-hit-rational-immigration-debate-desperately-needed

A group of apparently unconnected things in the past week have struck me as having quite a lot to do with each other. First: Former prime minister Jim Bolger was hailed as having repudiated neoliberalism. It was a strange thing to claim, considering Mr Bolger has never really pudiated neoliberalism, let alone repudiated it.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/order-paper-ignorant-dont-know-conservative-history