The latest Commonwealth Bank Flash Composite PMI® pointed to subdued business conditions in Australia at the start of the final quarter of the year. Output rose at a softer pace amid the weakest new order growth since April. Business confidence also softened and firms raised their staffing levels only marginally. Meanwhile, input costs continued to increase at a marked pace, leading firms to raise their own selling prices to the greatest extent since last November in a bid to protect profit margins. The headline figure derived from the survey is the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Flash Composite Output Index, which ... (full story)