Business sentiment among large Japanese companies in the April-June period worsened for the second straight quarter due to a global semiconductor shortage and a third state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, a government survey showed Friday.
The confidence index covering firms capitalized at ¥1 billion or more inched down to minus 4.7 from minus 4.5 in the January-March period, staying negative for the second quarter in a row, according to the joint survey by the Finance Ministry and Cabinet Office.
By sector, the index for manufacturers dropped to minus 1.4 from plus 1.6 in the previous quarter, turning negative for the first time in four quarters.