New Zealand’s rural sector dominates our economy. Find out what effects national and international pressures will have on the industry and its farmers.
This concise weekly report explores the components of the ASB Commodity Price Index in relation to the meat, dairy and forestry markets. It also presents valuable insights into other factors that might affect local commodity prices, such as currency movements and overseas tariff agreements.
This section provides insights into key rural events such as the fortnightly Global Dairy Auctions and announcements by Fonterra, New Zealand’s multinational dairy conglomerate.
The economic performance of New Zealand’s 16 Regional Councils is ranked using the latest quarterly regional statistics on employment, construction, retail trade and house prices. The fastest growing regions gain the highest ratings, and a good performance by the overall economy raises the rating of all regions.
This monthly report provided insight into key rural developments from the month prior. This is a historical report, that is no longer created.
Authored by our US-based expert Professor Bill Bailey, this report gave his take on the global agricultural developments across a range of sectors. This is a historical report, that is no longer created.
This report provided a brief summary of our interest rate view to assist rural borrowers with making informed interest rate decisions. This is a historical report, that is no longer created.
All enquiries from the media should be directed to our economics team:
Since starting out in 1997 as an economist, it's fair to say Nick has seen a few hair-raising moments over the years, including the Asian Financial Crisis and the Global Financial Crisis.
One of Nick's strengths is his ability to communicate complex ideas in a readily understandable and entertaining way. He thrives on helping people understand the economic environment to help enrich the quality of their business or personal life. He’s proud to lead a team that has won two Forecast Accuracy Awards from Consensus Economics, and has a strong track record with their Official Cash Rate and dairy price forecasts.
Nick grew up in Christchurch and graduated with a Master of Commerce degree from the University of Canterbury. He learned his economic ropes at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand before a long stint as a Senior Economist at Westpac, and joined ASB as Chief Economist in 2007.
Mark joined ASB in 2017, with over 20 years of public and private sector experience working as an economist in New Zealand and the UK.
His resume includes lengthy stints at ANZ and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and he has also worked at the Bank of England, HM Treasury and the New Zealand Transport Agency. Mark's areas of specialisation include interest rate strategy, macro-economic analysis and urban economics.
Born and bred in the Waikato, Mark studied at Waikato University where he graduated with a Master of Social Sciences, majoring in Economics.
Mark's key strengths are the ability to use his extensive experience, inquisitive nature, analytical ability, creativity and pragmatism to dig a little deeper and to deliver common sense solutions to tackle complex problems.
When not at work Mark likes to travel, keep fit and spend time with his friends and family.
Chris has worked as an economist for ASB and Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney since 2005. His work has involved monitoring and forecasting trends in the New Zealand economy, with a focus on drawing implications for financial markets and investments. Chris is passionate about savings issues, and much of his current work is focussed on broadening peoples understanding of investments. Chris obtained a Bachelor of Commerce at Auckland University, majoring in Economics, and prior to joining ASB worked in the funds management industry for Bankers Trust and BT Funds Management. With over 20 years' experience in finance, Chris has also spent several years farming, and was a New Zealand representative cyclist. When not at work, Chris likes to travel, cycle, and spend time with his family and numerous pets.
Kim joined ASB in 2015 and has worked for both ASB and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney over the last 8 years. Kim enjoys all facets of working as a bank economist, including economic forecasting as well as more in-depth macro-economic analysis. She has a particular expertise in foreign exchange strategy and a keen interest in sustainable economics. She also enjoys getting out and about to help people better understand the economic environment they are operating in.
Kim grew up in Northland before heading to Auckland University where she graduated with a BA/BCom (1st class honours) in Economics, Statistics and Politics. She also interned with the New Zealand Treasury while completing her studies before starting her career as an economic consultant.
Yen Nguyen joined ASB Bank in June 2024, bringing over 10 years of experience as a policy analyst in the Vietnamese government. Her expertise lies in macroeconomic and policy analysis, with a strong focus on economic strategy and regulatory frameworks.
Yen grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam and holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies from Korea University (Seoul) and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Auckland. Her current focus is on New Zealand’s housing market and regional development, delivering clear, practical insights to help New Zealanders understand market trends, and the economic factors influencing their communities.
Yen is passionate about applying her skills to address real-world economic challenges and supporting sustainable development.
