Optimism level of Taiwanese businesses drops to seven-quarter low

Business optimism in Taiwan dropped to a seven-quarter low this quarter as various factors, including the global pandemic, inflationary pressure, and supply chain bottlenecks have not yet fully stabilised. According to Dun & Bradstreet, the business optimism index is 108.1 in Q3, an 18.8% drop from the previous quarter and a decline of 10% from a year earlier. The index was based on a survey conducted from early June to early July. The index comprises six sub-indices that gauge business sentiment toward sales volume, net profit, selling prices, new orders, inventory levels and workforce size. Notably, the optimism levels of Taiwanese businesses for net sales, new orders, and net profit were at their lowest in seven quarters.