FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Household Savings in New Zealand Rises by NZ$2 Billion in March Quarter, Westpac Says

By

Household savings in New Zealand rose by NZ$2 billion in the March quarter, with a related increase in the value of New Zealanders' financial assets to 3.3% over the past year, offsetting softness in the value of housing and land assets, Westpac said in a report on Friday.

While overall household income levels are continuing to rise, much of that is due to increases in entrepreneurial earnings, which are up 14% over the past year, in part due to increased earnings in the agricultural sector. In contrast, wage and salary growth remain limited.

Over the past year, overall household disposable income levels rose 5%. The bank's estimate of the average household's disposable income rose 3.8% in the year to March, up from 3.1% at the end of December 2025. The household savings rate climbed to 3.3% of disposable income.

Reductions in interest costs over the past year have helped to support household spending in the face of rising living costs.

Related Articles

International

RatingDog China Composite PMI Falls From Three-Month High

Business activity across China's private sector rose at a softer pace in June, with the headline RatingDog China Composite Output Index, compiled by S&P Global, coming in at 53.6 from 54 the previous month, according to data released on Friday.A reading above 50 indicates an overall expansion in private sector activity, while a figure below signals a contraction.The latest print, which aggregates combined performance figures across both the manufacturing and service sectors, eased from the three-month high recorded in May. Manufacturing PMI slowed to a three-month low of 51.7 in June from 51.8 in May, while services PMI likewise eased to 54.1 from 54.4.The performance was in contrast with the official government composite PMI released earlier this week, which rose to a six-month high of 50.6 from 50.5 the previous month.

Shanghai Composite^SZSE
International

RatingDog China Services PMI Slows Marginally in June

Business activity across China's private service sector expanded in June, with the headline RatingDog China General Services Business Activity Index, compiled by S&P Global, coming in at 54.1, according to data released on Friday.The latest reading beat the consensus forecast of 53 tracked by Investing.com, and compared with the 54.4 recorded in the previous month.The monthly momentum was primarily driven by increased new business, stronger client demand, and the successful development of projects, S&P Global said.Separately, the official government non-manufacturing PMI edged up to 50.2 in June from 50.1 in May, marking a second consecutive month of expansion for the broader index.

Shanghai Composite^SZSE
International

PwC Expects Hong Kong IPO Market to Reach HK$380 Billion in 2026

PwC forecasts the Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) market to reach HK$380 billion in 2026, PwC China said Thursday on LinkedIn.PwC's higher forecast was driven by listings from key mainland Chinese companies, dual listings by technology firms and strong investor demand for AI, new materials, semiconductors, chips and creative robotics, the release said.Hong Kong's IPO market fundraising jumped 92% in H1 2026 to hit HK$210 billion through 87 IPOs from the same period last year. The increase in the number of IPOs marked a 98% increase compared to H1 2025, the accounting firm said.

Hang Seng