The headline is from the latest D&B Business Expectations Survey, the expectations index for the March quarter 2015.
Expectations are looking up:
Issues expected to influence operations in the March quarter 2015:
- 6% of businesses are more optimistic about growth in 2014 compared to 2013, while 24% less optimistic … 11% is undecided
- Cash flow (26%) is identified as the issue most likely to influence business operations in the next quarter … followed by the level of the Australian dollar (21%)
- 19% of businesses consider slow growth in demand for their products as their biggest barrier to growth, followed by utilities and operating costs (18%) and online selling by competitors (15%)
- 35% of businesses reported having a customer or supplier that became insolvent, or was otherwise unable to pay them in the past year
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D&B add a summary of how the expectations for Q3 2014 compared to results (bolding mine):
- Actual employment reported is up to 8.5 points compared to 4.0 points last quarter and 1.8 points last year
- Sales activity lifted compared to the previous quarter, from 11.6 points to 17.3 points, and is up on last year’s level of 7.5 points
- The actual profits index lifted to 7.8 points from 3.8 points last quarter, although it is down from 9.8 points last year
- Capital investment activity edged up from 7.4 points to 10.2 points quarter-on-quarter, and up from 5.3 points last year
- Selling prices were raised in the last quarter, with the index up to 16.9 points from 13.4 points, and up slightly from 15.3 points last year
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There ya go … some better news after this morning’s (and this week’s) dismal PMIs from Australia.
