NZ business confidence falls in March as South Islanders feel gloomier

NZ business confidence falls in March as South Islanders feel gloomier
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot March 31 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand businesses were increasingly negative about the overall state of play in March, although were more optimistic about their individual prospects. A net 3 percent of firms were optimistic about the general outlook for the economy in 2016, down from a net 7 percent a month earlier, according to the ANZ Business Outlook survey of 444 companies. The agricultural sector was the most pessimistic, with a net 45.8 percent expecting business conditions to deteriorate over the coming year. Compa...