New Zealand business confidence tumbled in May as signals on the employment, investment and activity front recede, MarketWatch reported. “The economic patient is beginning to suffer a few palpitations, but there is no need to reach for the defibrillator just yet. Diagnostics remain healthy; most Business Outlook survey indicators still sit north of historical averages,” said ANZ Bank Chief Economist Cameron Bagrie. A net 15.7% of respondents in the monthly survey expected business conditions to improve over the next 12 months, compared with a net 30.2% who had expected an improvement in the prior survey held in April. A net 32.6% expected their own business activity to improve in the coming year versus 41.3% in the prior survey. Bagrie said the waning confidence is “not surprising” as the economy transitions to a more modest pace of expansion. However, “there are clear risks around that transition; declines were broad across the survey and are starting to look more trend-like,” he added.