NZX50 falls again as price intentions pose inflation question.

[ 29/01/2026 18:01 ] Read on nbr.co.nz

Report Overview: The article is a straightforward markets and macro update, largely descriptive and data-based. It reports index moves, company price changes, survey results, and central bank actions with clear attribution. There is minimal evaluative language, no evident cherry-picking, and no emotional framing. The few subjective or speculative elements are clearly attributed to a named source and framed as possibilities, not certainties. Overall manipulation use is very low relative to the number of factual statements.

Sides Objectivity Scores

Market/Investors’ perspective (concern about inflation and rate hikes) (95)

Reserve Bank / Monetary policy stance (96)

Individual companies (e.g., Fletcher, Black Pearl, others) (97)

Sides Representation Balance

Favored Side

Individual companies (e.g., Fletcher, Black Pearl, others)

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Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Appeal to emotion / Mildly loaded framing

Using wording that subtly frames developments as worrying or negative without strong supporting argument, potentially nudging reader sentiment.

1) "...showed growing plans by firms to hike their prices, raising concerns the Reserve Bank will have to lift the official cash rate this year and knocking commercial landlords such as Property for Industry and Argosy Property." 2) "Inflation was already back on investors’ minds after Australia’s accelerating inflation raised the prospect of a rate hike across the Tasman, while Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s upbeat outlook on the US economy kept it top of mind for markets." In both cases, the language ("raising concerns", "knocking", "kept it top of mind") adds a slightly emotive or interpretive layer about investor psychology and market reaction. While this is common in markets reporting and not extreme, it does go beyond strictly neutral description.

Replace "raising concerns the Reserve Bank will have to lift the official cash rate this year and knocking commercial landlords" with a more neutral, causally clear phrasing such as: "...showed growing plans by firms to increase prices, which some analysts interpret as increasing the likelihood of an official cash rate rise this year; shares in commercial landlords such as Property for Industry and Argosy Property declined following the survey."

Replace "Inflation was already back on investors’ minds" with: "Inflation had already become a renewed focus for investors" to reduce the anthropomorphic and slightly dramatic tone.

Replace "kept it top of mind for markets" with: "contributed to inflation remaining a key consideration for markets" to keep the description factual and less colloquial/emotive.

Speculation / Mild oversimplification of causality

Presenting a possible future outcome or causal link in a way that could be read as more certain or direct than the evidence strictly supports, even if hedged.

1) "...raising concerns the Reserve Bank will have to lift the official cash rate this year..." 2) Quoted comment: "If intentions become reality, maybe we see one or two rate hikes this year." The article correctly attributes the second statement to a named source and uses "maybe", which is cautious. However, the first phrase could be read as implying a relatively direct line from survey intentions to an RBNZ rate hike, without clarifying that this is one of several inputs the Bank considers.

Clarify that the link between survey price intentions and RBNZ action is interpretive, for example: "...prompting some market participants to speculate that the Reserve Bank might lift the official cash rate this year..."

Add brief context that the RBNZ considers multiple indicators, e.g.: "Price intentions are one of several indicators the Reserve Bank monitors when assessing whether to adjust the official cash rate."

Ensure speculative language is consistently marked as such ("might", "could", "some analysts expect") whenever future rate moves are discussed.

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- This is an EXPERIMENTAL DEMO version that is not intended to be used for any other purpose than to showcase the technology's potential. We are in the process of developing more sophisticated algorithms to significantly enhance the reliability and consistency of evaluations. Nevertheless, even in its current state, HonestyMeter frequently offers valuable insights that are challenging for humans to detect.