Subscribe & Follow

Advertise your job vacancies

Jobs

Paint Industry Branch Supervisor Plettenberg Bay

Factory recovery could boost confidence

8 Mar 2010

A leading survey today will clarify the extent to which business confidence has picked up this year, while data on Thursday may deliver more good news on factory output.

The business confidence index produced by the Bureau for Economic Research each quarter is likely to have surged from its previous weak level of 28 in the fourth quarter of last year.

Deteriorating confidence in both manufacturing, SA's second-biggest sector, and construction kept the index from rising more strongly late last year. Now industry surveys show factory output rebounding more strongly than expected, while other sectors also gather momentum.

Citigroup economist Jean Francois Mercier sees the index climbing 14 points to 42 — still well below its long-term average of 56. Analysts blame pending electricity price hikes for restraining gains in confidence.

“We expect business confidence to have improved on the economic recovery, both locally and globally,” Investec economist Kgotso Radira said.

News that SA's economy grew 3.2% in the fourth quarter of last year — accelerating much more than expected from 0.9% in the third quarter — has supported local business sentiment.

Source: Business Day

Source: I-Net Bridge

For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.

We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.

Go to: http://www.inet.co.za