The Central Bank of Chile published its February Business Perceptions Report (Informe de Percepciones de Negocios, IPN), summarising firms’ views on business conditions and inflation expectations. Companies reported that performance has stabilised or improved slightly in recent months, helped by a less negative assessment of sales, while rising costs and tight financing conditions remain key concerns. Cost pressures were linked to the higher USD exchange rate, electricity tariffs and labour costs over the past year; staffing levels were broadly unchanged amid persistent difficulty recruiting skilled labour. Financing conditions continued to be perceived as tight but somewhat less strict than in previous quarters, with higher collateral requirements by banks becoming more relevant than interest-rate increases, and a larger share of recent credit applicants obtaining loans on their expected terms. In the near term, firms expect costs and sales to remain stable and prices to rise slightly, with a faster pass-through of cost increases to selling prices; one-year-ahead expectations were more favourable but often framed with caution over whether the recent improvement proves temporary. The central bank noted that the views in the report do not necessarily align with its Board’s assessment of economic conditions and reflect information collected during January.
Central Bank of Chile 2025-02-06
Central Bank of Chile publishes February Business Perceptions Report pointing to stabilising activity, cost pressures and still-tight credit
The Central Bank of Chile's February Business Perceptions Report shows firms have stabilised or slightly improved performance despite concerns about rising costs and tight financing. Cost pressures stem from a higher USD exchange rate, electricity tariffs, and labour costs, while financing conditions are tight but less strict. Firms expect stable costs and sales soon, with slight price increases and a cautious outlook on recent improvements' persistence.