A closely watched survey in Japan shows that business sentiment among large manufacturers was flat for the last quarter.
The Bank of Japan’s “Tankan” puts the index at plus-13 for the July through September period.
The reading released Tuesday is unchanged from the previous survey.
A positive number indicates that more companies are optimistic about business conditions than those feeling pessimistic.
Robust performance in semiconductors and other IT-related businesses helped lift sentiment at companies involved in electrical machinery and other categories.
But the automotive and iron-and-steel fields saw declines. That was after China’s economic slowdown shrank demand from overseas.
Typhoons and other natural disasters at home forced stoppages at factories in some industries.
By contrast, Japan’s large non-manufacturers were more optimistic. Their index rose 1 point to plus 34, the first improvement in two quarters.
Rising tourist numbers helped brighten the mood in the retail, accommodation and restaurant industries.