The SME Stream

Trade watchers say this is a classic Trump tactic; a ticking offer with a big headline to inject some jeopardy.' 2degrees Business wrap - Garth Bray.

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First it came for the groceries, the mortgage and the power bill. Now the economy is coming for our fun.

From $12 glasses of wine and $27 movie tickets to streaming subscriptions that keep creeping up, the cost of enjoying yourself is becoming harder to justify.

Liam Dann and Tamsyn Parker unpack “funflation”, the latest inflation data, and whether bird flu could make chicken and eggs the next household staples to surge in price.

The Economy of Everything is made in partnership with CMC Markets

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Inflation has hit 4.1% - the highest level in more than two years.

Economists had expected it surge to somewhere between 3.9 and 4.1 percent. 

However, the end result is well below some previous forecasts, which reached 4.9%. 

If we ignored the surging fuel prices, Westpac economists reckon inflation would be about 2.8 percent. 

So what does this actually mean for the cost of living, for interest rates, and for the story of the New Zealand economy in 2026? 

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann is with us to unpack how we got to 4.1%, what’s really driving the numbers, and what comes next for households, businesses, and the path back to stable prices.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

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In the absence of a sick Jo Luxton (and some Labour ag policy), the gloves come off with the trade spokesman and former Minister of Agriculture. Today we debate the RMA changes, the Indian FTA and wool.

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An independent economist comments on New Zealand’s annual inflation rate hitting its highest level in more than two years on rising fuel prices. The consumer price index (CPI) increased 4.1% in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter. The 4.1% increase follows a 3.1% increase in the March quarter. The largest upward contributor to the annual inflation rate was petrol, up 27.5%.

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Westpac economist Satish Ranchhod discusses what the latest CPI data will mean for households and businesses.

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The Finance Minister expects to see power prices start easing "soon". 

Inflation's hit a two-year high of 4.1%. 

It's been driven not only by the surge in global petrol and diesel prices thanks to the war in Iran, but also the 12% annual rise in household electricity bills. 

Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the increase in power generation is pushing down commercial power prices and should also start bringing down household power prices. 

She says the extra generation is consented and is being built, and the Government expects the fall in energy costs to be passed on to retail customers. 

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The Consumers Price Index (CPI) has increased 4.1% in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

As expected, the increase can be partially contributed to the US-Iran war as the largest upwards contributor to the annual inflation rate was petrol, up 27.5%.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is labelling annual inflation hitting its highest level in more than two years a “Trump spike”.

Former Reserve Bank senior economist Michael Reddell told Andrew Dickens that economists don't tend to look at the headline numbers but they will be digging through the numbers to find trends. 

"It's a bit like the famous line about democracy, you know, it's not a perfect system, it's just better than any of the alternatives that have been tried, and inflation targeting is a bit like that as well. It's definitely not perfect."

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The market has been moving sideways, but there’s been a lot happening at sector level. Grant Cotty Craigs Investment Partners.

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If a $60m surprise subsidy to Fletcher Building is such a good idea, why has there been scant engagement on it so far?'

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