Japan 'tankan' survey shows manufacturers upbeat on outlook

A quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan shows sentiment among manufacturers at its highest level in nearly three years

Business sentiment among Japanese manufacturers has risen to its highest level in nearly three years, according to a quarterly survey by the central bank.

The results of the Bank of Japan's “tankan” survey, released Friday, found sentiment among large manufacturers rose to 18 from 14. That's the highest level since late 2018.

The reading for nonmanufacturers edged up only slightly, to 2 from 1.

The tankan measures corporate sentiment by subtracting the number of companies saying business conditions are negative from those responding they are positive.