The results of the winter Business Outlook Survey indicate that business prospects have improved following two years of overall modest activity. The responses reflect building domestic demand, a supportive export outlook and an expected recovery in energy-related activity. Firms reported little change overall in the pace of past sales growth (Chart 1), with the balance of opinion hovering around zero for more than a year. Firms are generally more optimistic about their future sales prospects: both forward-looking measures continued to rise above the modest results associated with the energy downturn over the past two ... (full story)