New Zealand Herald's Business Editor at Large Liam Dann explores two significant economic themes in his latest Inside Economics analysis, examining the apparent disconnect between geopolitical tensions and market performance, alongside fundamental questions about the Reserve Bank's monetary policy framework. The analysis highlights how investors continue to "buy the dip" despite ongoing Middle East conflicts, suggesting markets may be operating with a different risk assessment than traditional economic indicators would suggest.

The piece also delves into whether New Zealand's Official Cash Rate remains an effective monetary policy tool in the current economic environment. This questioning of the OCR's fitness for purpose comes at a time when central banks globally are grappling with unconventional economic conditions and the effectiveness of traditional interest rate mechanisms. The discussion forms part of Dann's new podcast "The Economy of Everything," co-hosted with Tamsyn Parker, indicating these topics represent some of the week's most significant economic developments requiring deeper analysis.