Slump in expected business activity bodes ill for economy

Slump in expected business activity bodes ill for economy
Paul McBeth
Local firms are the gloomiest about their own businesses that they’ve been since the depths of the global financial crisis and economists don’t expect much, if any, growth in the first half of this year.ANZ economists published a flash reading of the bank's monthly business confidence survey to give a more timely update on economic indicators. The survey captured the first week, with 242 respondents, and will form part of the full report at the end of March.It showed a net 12.8 percent of those surveyed expect their own activity to decline in t...