Dun and Bradstreet's (DB) latest business expectations survey shows businesses are more pessimistic about the next three months than any quarter over the past two years
- Businesses expect sales, profits, employment and capital investment to decline in the last quarter of the financial year compared to the previous three months
DB's economic adviser Stephen Koukoulas:
- Their bleak outlook signals slower economic growth in 2016
- 'There has been a fall in each of the components of the Index, with the overall Business Expectations Index (BEI) slipping to its lowest level in over two years'
- 'The BEI is consistent with GDP (gross domestic product) growth of around 2.5 per cent'
- 'While it is not yet time to be too concerned about the slide in expectations, any further deterioration in the months ahead would present challenges for the economy and would result in the need to recast our assessment of the state of the business landscape'
- Says its difficult to pinpoint the reason for the negative outlook but suggested the upcoming federal election and global economic uncertainty may be contributing
More:
- Despite businesses' more downbeat expectations, most noted stronger actual performance over the 2015 fourth quarter
via Sky
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DB's survey is of 1,200 business owners & senior executives. From a range of industries.
