New Zealand’s business sentiment strengthened sharply in July, with the NBNZ Own Activity indicator climbing to 49.3% from 36.9% in June 2026. The latest reading, updated on 30 July 2026, signals a notable improvement in firms’ expectations for their own activity over the coming months.
The jump of more than 12 percentage points in a single month suggests that businesses are increasingly confident about their operating outlook, potentially reflecting easing domestic headwinds or improving demand conditions. Investors and policymakers will be watching closely to see whether this upswing in activity expectations translates into stronger real-sector performance in the second half of the year.
