SYDNEY, Oct 29 (Reuters) – New Zealand business confidence edged higher in October, with firms remaining relatively optimistic as all forward-looking activity indicators turned positive despite the volatilities in oil prices, an ANZ Bank survey showed on Thursday.
Business confidence rose to a net 52.5% of respondents expecting the economy to improve over the year ahead, up from 51.9% in September, while 46.2% expected their own activity to grow, down slightly from 47.9%.
“Some firms have been pleasantly surprised by the resilience of demand … others are realising that come what may, continually deferring some decisions, such as around investment, brings its own risks,” the survey said.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
