MNI BRIEF: Japan April Sentiment And Outlook Rises

Japan's April sentiment index posted a second straight gain and the outlook index for two to three months ahead the third straight rise, but the government left its assessment unchanged from the previous month, the Economy Watchers released by the Cabinet Office Thursday showed.

The Economy Watchers sentiment index for the current economic climate rose a seasonally adjusted 2.6 points to 50.4 in April from 47.8 in March. “Looking ahead, there is hope for recovery amid weakening infections, although there is concern over higher costs (caused by the rise in raw material prices and the yen’s fall) and over the impact of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine,” the survey said.

The outlook index for two to three months ahead rose 0.2 points to 50.3 from 50.1 in March. The survey indicates whether respondents with jobs most sensitive to economic conditions. It was conducted by the Cabinet Office between April 25 and April 30 when the number of infections has fallen sharply.