SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian business enterprise situations remained resilient in February with sales and employment sturdy, even as self-confidence took a turn for the worse amid higher inflation and increasing interest prices.

The survey from National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB) released on Tuesday showed its index of business enterprise situations dipped 1 point to +17 in January, nonetheless effectively above its extended-run typical.

The volatile measure of self-confidence fell back to -four, erasing January’s bounce to +six.

“General, the survey confirms the ongoing resilience of the economy by means of the initial months of 2023, although we continue to anticipate a far more material slowdown in demand later in the year when the complete impact of price rises has passed by means of,” stated Alan Oster, NAB’s chief economist.

The survey paints a mixed image for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) which cited the strength of business enterprise activity as 1 cause it hiked interest prices to a decade-higher of three.six% this month.

Markets had believed a further two hikes had been probably, till turmoil in the U.S. banking sector radically altered pondering on policy tightening worldwide.

Now, swaps and futures imply only a minor opportunity the RBA will lift prices at its April meeting, and recommend it could be accomplished tightening altogether.

The survey was performed from Feb. 20 to 28, so it missed the current chaos in economic markets immediately after Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse.

Circumstances had been usually upbeat with the survey’s measure of sales at a quite higher +27 in February, supported by historically low unemployment and fast population development.

Measures of employment edged up 1 point to +11, whilst profitability eased a touch to +14.

The survey’s measure of labour expenses ticked up to a quarterly price of two.eight%, but retail value development eased to 1.9%.

(Reporting by Wayne Cole Editing by Jamie Freed)