Business Tendency Survey results published

• The headline all-sector business activity indicator was neutral, at +9 percentage points (pp); this means the proportion of businesses that reported an increase was 9 pp higher than those that reported a decrease.
• the business activity indicator was strongly positive for the finance sector (+34 pp) and neutral for the non-finance sector (-3 pp)

• One of the eight current indicators was extremely negative (input costs), one indicator was strongly negative (profitability), and one indicator was strongly positive (product prices), while the other five current indicators were neutral.
• for the finance sector, there were five positive current indicators: three strongly positive and two moderately positive, whilst there were two strongly negative indicators (input costs and profitability) and one was neutral (employment)
• for the non-finance sector, one of the eight current indicators was extremely negative (input costs), one was strongly negative (profitability), and three were moderately negative (capacity utilisation, employment and business optimism); in contrast, one indicator was strongly positive (product prices) and the other two were neutral
• The overall picture was essentially the same as last quarter; the only notable changes being moderate decreases in the product prices and employment indicators, and a moderate increase in the business activity indicator

Outlook for next quarter – the three months to September 2024

• The outlook for future business activity was moderately positive (+17 pp). 
• the indicator balance was strongly positive for finance (+33 pp) and neutral for non finance (+9 pp)
• The overall future employment outlook was moderately positive (+17 pp).
• the indicator was extremely positive for finance (+57 pp) and neutral for non finance (-2 pp)
• The overall future input costs outlook was strongly negative (-49 pp).
• the indicator was strongly negative for finance (-43 pp) and extremely negative for non finance (-52 pp) 
• The overall future product prices outlook was moderately positive (+24 pp).
• the indicator was moderately positive for finance (+15 pp) and strongly positive for non finance (+28 pp)