A business index created by Sparebanken Norge in collaboration with Respons Analyse shows that Møre og Romsdal stands out positively compared to other counties in terms of results and expectations. Companies in Møre og Romsdal report stronger profitability, better demand, increased investments, and positive expectations, while Vestlandet and Agder have the opposite development. Industries particularly lifting the Møre og Romsdal region are industry, power and oil extraction, and retail trade. All industries in Møre og Romsdal have positive expectations for the first months of 2026. In contrast, companies in Agder are now experiencing a clear deterioration in expectations for the market going forward, with a clear break from March to April. The outlook in Agder county is now weaker than the national average, with under 19 percent of companies in Agder saying the situation is good today, while nearly 30 percent report a poor market situation. Only every tenth company in Agder believes in improvement, while over 22 percent expect it to get worse.
The business index measurement was taken before Israel and the USA started bombing Iran, but the war in the Middle East will have major consequences for the global economy and will also negatively affect the economy in Norway. The oil price has already skyrocketed, and 84 percent of companies state that they are negatively affected by the war in the Middle East. The war leads to increased prices for fuel, energy, and freight, and many companies report increasing costs while demand weakens.
Despite these challenges, specific businesses in some regions show resilience. The Bauta Group, a steel industry company headquartered in Tomrefjord in Vestnes, is experiencing growth and has a queue of assignments. Only companies in Troms still have faith in a positive development in the time to come.