Mumbai, March 10 -- Australia's NAB Business Confidence Index fell sharply to -1 in February 2026 from 4 in the previous month, marking the first negative reading since April as businesses turned cautious following the recent interest rate hike. Despite the drop in sentiment, overall business conditions remained steady near the long-run average, with sales improving slightly and profits holding firm, though employment eased marginally. Cost pressures resurfaced during the month as labour and input costs rebounded, while quarterly retail price growth accelerated to 1.0% from 0.3%, signalling renewed inflationary pressures.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Capital Market....