Business confidence in New Zealand improved notably in June, with the ANZ headline index rising from 36.6 to 46.3 and firms’ Own Activity Outlook climbing from 34.8 to 40.9. Inflation expectations held steady at 2.71%.
ANZ warned that the underlying environment remains difficult, citing ongoing cost pressures, tight margins, and a global backdrop that continues to “impeding risk-taking”. The bank highlighted that while the 0.8% qoq Q1 growth was solid, the outlook for Q2 appears “not looking nearly so positive. Despite stronger sentiment, actual business conditions and demand may remain under pressure in the months ahead.
ANZ continues to forecast more rate cuts from the RBNZ than the central bank currently projects, arguing that the recovery will likely fall short of policymakers’ expectations. Still, it acknowledged that the RBNZ appears inclined to move slowly, balancing inflation risks with a softening economic backdrop.
