Optimism among mid-sized Australian businesses has hit record highs in the lead-up to Christmas, a quarterly survey has found.
Commonwealth Bank's future business index rose to 9.3 in December, from 4.3 in September.
The survey focuses on companies with a revenue of A$10 million ($12.4 million) to A$100 million ($124 million), assessing their outlook on business conditions and challenges, projected revenue, investment plans and how prepared they are to cope with volatile conditions in the next six months.
The index first hit 9.3 in March this year - its highest score ever.
Almost half (45 per cent) of the companies surveyed said they were well-prepared for future business conditions, while 31 per cent said they thought conditions would improve in the next six months. However, they expressed concern about rising energy costs in Australia, and a potential economic slowdown in Asia.