New Zealand’s ANZ Business Confidence dipped marginally in November, falling from 65.7 to 64.9, but it remains at what ANZ describes as an “impressive high” level. Own Activity Outlook, a key forward indicator, rose to a decade high of 48.0 from 45.9, reinforcing optimism about future economic conditions
Inflation related metrics also showed broad improvement, with cost expectations down from 64.2 to 62.9, wage expectations easing from 77.0 to 75.5, and pricing intentions falling from 44.2 to 42.2, marking the first decline in four months. Notably, inflation expectations dropped significantly from 2.83% to 2.53%.
ANZ attributed the robust activity outlook to the impact of interest rate cuts, which are “changing actual behavior, not just expectations.” While the economy remains fragile, ANZ highlighted that “things are starting to turn higher,” with improving activity suggesting early signs of recovery.
RBNZ is likely to take comfort in these trends, as “sufficient domestic disinflation pressure” appears to be in the pipeline, even if growth rebounds faster than expected. However, the survey tempered expectations for aggressive rate cuts, indicating that “large emergency cuts” may not be necessary.