NZ business confidence rises to new 5-year high, firms see higher profits, more hiring

NZ business confidence rises to new 5-year high, firms see higher profits, more hiring
Sept. 30 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand business confidence climbed to a new five-year high, with construction firms still the most upbeat on profits, hiring and investments. A net 54 percent of firms expect general business conditions to improve in the year ahead, up from 48.1 percent in August and the highest since March 1999, according to the ANZ Business Outlook survey. Firms seeing a pickup in their own business activity in the year ahead rose to a net 45 percent from 43.3 percent. The construction sector was the most bullish about the ou...