Interest rate 'responsible for negative shifts in business sentiment'

Business operators are sensitive to interest rates and petrol prices, one organisation has found.

The Bank SA State Monitor has found that the largest negative shifts in business sentiments related to the interest rate, petrol prices and proposed taxes on the world economy.

Managing director of the organisation - which offers a range of Bank SA credit cards - Rob Chapman noted that business operators are sensitive to these factors.

He added: "What we're seeing in these results is that business confidence is still being affected to a degree by the global economic outlook."

Other findings in the consumer section of the report noted 41 per cent of people think their financial position will improve, compared to 33 per cent in February.

Increases also included more than half (58 per cent) believing that the climate for spending will improve, up from 51 per cent in February.

These figures come after the Commonwealth Bank released its Business Sales Indicator that reported the amount of Australians spending on their Aussie credit cards had risen.

By Emma North