The Reuters Tankan seeks to correlate with the Bank of Japan's own

  • February manufacturers' sentiment index +29 (vs +35 in Jan., an 11 year high)
  • Service-sector index +33 (unchanged from Jan.)
  • manufacturers' sentiment index expected to rise to 30 in May
  • service index also expected at 30 in May

More on the report via Reuters :

  • result suggest the yen's strength and global stock market turmoil have undermined business sentiment (A strong currency eats into Japanese manufacturers' profits and could disrupt the virtuous cycle of business investment, consumer spending and growth that authorities have struggled to set in motion)
  • "Our consolidated profits have deteriorated because of a strong yen," a manager of a transport equipment maker wrote in the survey. A metal product maker said: "We are suffering from the repercussions of China's environmental regulation and restrictions on natural gas supply, which have severely affected manufacturers."

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The Reuters poll of 544 large- and mid-sized companies, in which 259 firms responded on condition of anonymity,

  • survey conducted Jan. 31 to Feb. 14

more to come