• Electricity

Upgrades to NZ power sector after National wins election

New Zealand’s electricity suppliers are enjoying a broad round of upgrades by equity analysts following the election victory of Prime Minister John Key which has effectively ended the threat of radical reforms.

• Updated Sep 24, 2014
• Angela Macdonald-Smith

• Gas

Origin to avoid ‘grief’

Origin Energy boss Grant King has singled out geothermal energy and hydropower as targets for long-term investment but will stay away from markets where projects rely on subsidies as they “always end in grief”.

• Updated Sep 17, 2014
• Angela Macdonald-Smith

Origin profit drops on soft energy markets

Updated | Origin Energy has posted a drop in its full-year underlying net profit to $713 million from $760 million a year earlier, missing expectations as soft energy markets have taken their toll.

• Updated Aug 22, 2014
• Angela Macdonald-Smith

• Electricity

Early indications bode well for Mighty float

A final pricing decision for Mighty River Power’s IPO won’t be announced until this afternoon, however sources say the bookbuild is “more than covered a long way through the book”.

• Updated May 8, 2013
• Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald and Gretchen Friemann

• Street Talk

Mighty River Power revs up trans-Tasman sales pitch

Marketing for Kiwi electricity company Mighty River Power has stepped up a gear, with the book-runners sending analysts to meet investors ahead of the expected $NZ2 billion initial public offer.

• Updated Mar 20, 2013
• Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

• Electricity

Contact CFO moves to GM role at Origin

Origin Energy has lured Contact Energy chief financial officer Mark Elliott for the role of general manager, commercial energy markets. He will start on July 2. Contact is looking for his successor.

• Updated May 16, 2012
• Sally Rose

• Street Talk

First NZ Capital likely victor for Contact deal

Faster than you can say “sweet as, bro”, Contact Energy is putting the pieces in place for its much anticipated rights issue.

• Updated Mar 8, 2011
• Sarah Thompson and JAMIE FREED

Contact Energy

New Zealand’s Contact Energy, 51.9 per cent owned by Origin Energy, said revenue increases were largely offset by increases in network and gas costs, as well as carbon costs from the introduction of an emissions trading scheme.

• Updated Feb 23, 2011

• Street Talk

Aussies not switched on by NZ

The woes faced by the NSW Keneally government in trying to offload electricity assets don’t appear to have put New Zealand’s government off.

• Jan 28, 2011
• Sarah Thompson and Paul Garvey

Held rate keeps NZ sharemarket flat

The New Zealand sharemarket was flat in early trading after Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard surprised no one by leaving the official cash rate unchanged at 3 per cent.

• Updated Oct 28, 2010

Fletcher rebuilds NZX losses

Leading shares Fletcher Building and Contact Energy reversed Wednesday's losses in early trade in New Zealand, after a bounce back by equities in the US.

• Updated Oct 21, 2010

New Zealand sharemarket down early

The New Zealand market was down in early trading today as leading share Fletcher Building fell back further.

• Sep 30, 2010

NZ sharemarket eases slightly

The New Zealand sharemarket eased slightly in early trading after Wall Street slipped overnight.

• Sep 23, 2010

Brief: Contact Energy

Contact Energy has completed its $100m, 23MW geothermal power station near Taupo in New Zealand three weeks ahead of schedule.

• May 25, 2010

Origin profit falls 94pc

Updated | Oil and gas producer Origin Energy has posted a 94 per cent fall in first-half profit, but predicted increased earnings in the future.

• Updated Feb 26, 2010