WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand business sentiment fell in July thanks to a regular winter blip, an ANZ Bank monthly survey showed on Monday.
The survey's headline measure showed a net 19.4 percent of respondents expected the economy to improve over the year ahead, compared with a 24.8 percent optimism level in the previous poll.
ANZ economists said the Pacific nation's colder months usually coincided with a drop in confidence. Rising construction costs and labour skill shortages also curbed optimism, while a recovery in dairy prices provided support.
A net 40.3 percent of respondents expected their own businesses to grow in the next 12 months, from 42.8 percent last month.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Kim Coghill)
