Business confidence down third month running

30th May 2025 By Staff Reporter | news@propertyticker.co.nz | @propertyticker

Business confidence has contracted for a third month running, according to ANZ’s monthly sentiment survey.

The April edition’s headline measure fell 12 points to a net 37% of firms expecting an improvement in the year ahead, while the more closely followed measure – businesses’ own outlooks – dropped 13 points to 35%.

ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner said the survey showed that the economy is recovering, “but that it’s still hard going here and now, and that it’s still difficult to pass cost increases through to prices.”

Zollner said a slight rise in inflation expectations to 2.71% was marginal, while firms expected a 2.5% rise in costs over the next few months but would be able to raise their prices by 1.7%.