Business Management

Asia Round Up - Japanese Large Business Confidence Dips To 6-year Low; Singapore”s Annual Inflation Eases.
(RTTNews) - The major news in Asia on Monday was the weakening large business confidence in the world”s second largest economy, Japan. Among others, data showed that Singapore”s annual inflation unexpectedly eased in February. Several economies in the region remained inactive on account of public holiday.

The latest Business Outlook Survey for the January-March period indicated that Japan”s large companies showed increased pessimism over future business conditions. A report from the Ministry of Finance showed that the Business Sentiment Index fell to a six-year low of minus 9.3 in the first quarter of 2008 after a score of plus 0.5 in the final quarter of 2007.

The business sentiment index is determined by the difference between those companies that feel the economy will get worse in the coming months and those companies that feel it will get better.