Synlait Milk is likely to have a robust profit improvement when it reports its first-half results on Wednesday, notwithstanding its guidance of a modest improvement for the full year.

That’s because its key customer, A2 Milk, has already reported its first-half results, which showed sales of its infant formula, manufactured solely by Synlait, rose 150% to $184.5 million in the six months ended December.

Read more ($):https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/synlait-results-likely-show-robust-profit-improvement-jr-p-201234

Property investors warn house rentals could rise on the back of a sharp drop in loans to investors.

The latest Reserve Bank figures on new residential mortgage lending show loans to investors fell to $1.15 billion in February, 35% down on a year earlier. Overall lending also fell to $4.4 billion from $5.2 billion in February 2016.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/property-investors-warn-rents-could-rise-reduced-investor-lending-fr-p-201233

Urban planning and the Resource Management Act should become just one law, the Productivity Commission says.

In its just-released report Better Urban Planning, the commission says the RMA, which while groundbreaking for its time, has become a weak point in the planning system.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/one-law-urban-planning-and-rma-productivity-commission-sl-p-201267

The arrival of “smart technology” threatens a third or more of all jobs. This is the finding of the latest research on how robots and artificial intelligence will change the workplace.

Smart technology is defined as the combination of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and other digital machines or software.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/editor’s-insight-new-luddites-or-how-stop-robots-taking-your-job

A2 Milk says coming regulations in China restricting each manufacturing site to three brands of infant formula and three recipes of each brand should help rather than hinder the company’s progress in the Chinese market.

A2 Milk’s results for the six months ended December showed its sales of infant formula rose 150% to $184.5 million which much of that growth coming from direct sales into China or from the grey market between Australia and China.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-says-new-china-regulations-will-help-not-hinder-jr-p-201268

Auckland restaurant start-up Misters is equity crowdfunding to raise money for its expansion, which it plans to do through a franchise model.

The central city health-food restaurant was started four years ago, by then-hospitality rookies Fraser Jamieson and Alex Brayne.

The offer, which opens later today on PledgeMe, is for between 12% and 18% of the company at $1 a share, depending on whether the minimum of $405,000 or a maximum of $607,500 is raised.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/misters-eatery-launches-crowdfunding-round-fund-franchise-cs-p-201271

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) chief executive Chris Roberts doesn’t think the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism will significantly increase the number of Chinese tourists coming to New Zealand.

In fact, he says the overall number of tourists from China is falling.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/we’re-not-ready-more-tourists-says-winston-jw-p-201259

Eight years after it launched, 2degrees might have finally snuck into the black, according to a stock market filing in Toronto overnight. The accounts also give a detailed breakdown of 2degrees' customer base for the first time.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/toronto-filing-indicates-2degrees-might-have-finally-made-profit-analyst-ck-201238

Author/activists Hager and Jon Stephenson wrote a book which raised the possibility New Zealand troops taking part, and, indeed may have initiated, war crimes. The raid at the centre of the allegations was in response to a raid by insurgents which saw one soldier killed and three others injured.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/stakes-are-too-high-not-have-inquiry-hager-book-allegations

The best news for the government on the economic front last week turned out to be no news at all.

Finance Minister Steven Joyce made a brief statement welcoming the "news" but added nothing other than a brief summary.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/editors-insight-when-no-news-more-just-good-news