Confidence at Japanese big manufacturers rose for a fourth straight quarter due to a boost to exports and profits from a pick-up in external demand, a key"tankan" survey by the central bank showed on Thursday.
FILE PHOTO: A man cycles past chimneys of facotries at the Keihin Industrial Zone in Kawasaki, Japan September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO: Confidence at Japanese big manufacturers rose for a fourth straight quarter due to a boost to exports and profits from a pick-up in external demand, a key"tankan" survey by the central bank showed on Thursday.
The headline index for big manufacturers' sentiment rose to plus 14 from plus 5 in March, the Bank of Japan's closely watched tankan business survey showed.The mood among big non-manufacturers also improved for a second straight quarter, the survey showed. The survey also showed big firms plan to raise their capital spending by 9.6per cent in the financial year to March 2022.
The reading compared with the market's median forecast for a 7.2per cent gain, following a 3per cent increase seen in March.