NZ business confidence strong, profitability weak: QSBO

NZ business confidence strong, profitability weak: QSBO
By Pattrick Smellie Jan. 20 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand business confidence remains at historically high levels, but profitability remains weak as firms lack confidence to push up prices in spite of comparative economic buoyancy, according to the latest quarterly survey of business opinion from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. “The economy is not nearly as strong as we think,” said principal economist Shamubeel Eaqub at a briefing in Wellington, even though annualised growth implied by the QSBO of 3 percent in the March 20...