Manufacturers' mood improves www3.nhk.or.jp
The Bank of Japan released its latest survey on business sentiment on Wednesday. The Tankan survey shows that the sentiment among Japanese large manufacturers has improved for the first time in 6 quarters.
The Bank of Japan conducts a survey of more than 10,000 firms across the country every 3 months, asking them what they think about business conditions.
In the latest survey, which covers this current quarter, the bank says sentiment among large manufacturers stood at plus 10. That's up 4 points from the previous survey. The sentiment for major non-manufacturers was unchanged at plus 18 points.
BOJ economists say the optimistic sentiment apparently stems from the solid economic growth in the US.
But the officials say they see a less rosy outlook for the coming quarter. They expect the index for large manufacturers to drop 2 points to plus 8. Non-manufacturers say their sentiment will worsen by 2 points, to plus 16.
The Tankan's index represents the difference in the percentage of companies that say business is good and those who say it's bad. A positive reading means more companies are optimistic.
Published Date:2016-12-14