The S&P Global Flash Australia Composite PMI rose to 52.6 in November up from 52.1 in October signaling expansion for a fourteenth month but with a clearer improvement. Services activity accelerated with the Services Business Activity Index at 52.7 versus 52.5 while the Manufacturing PMI climbed to 51.6 from 49.7 as goods new orders returned to growth for the first time since August and services new business improved helping overall new export business register a marginal rise despite a sharper fall in goods export demand. Business confidence improved to a five month high and employment continued to increase although at the softest pace in ten months as service sector firms faced hiring difficulties which contributed to another decline in backlogs. Input cost inflation picked up due to higher material energy and wage expenses with services facing increases while manufacturing input prices rose at a softer pace and selling price inflation edged higher from October’s five year low.