Per RTRS: "Business sentiment of Asian.........>

ASIA: Per RTRS: "Business sentiment of Asian companies sank to an 11-year low in

the second quarter, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey found, with some two-thirds

of the firms polled flagging a worsening COVID-19 pandemic as the biggest risk

over the next six months. While the pandemic's initial impact was reflected in

the March survey, confidence during the June quarter fell by a third to 35, only

the second time the Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asian Business Sentiment Index has

slumped below 50 since the survey began in the second quarter of 2009. A reading

above 50 indicates a positive outlook. The last time the index showed a reading

below that was in its debut quarter, when it hit 45. About 16% of the 93

companies surveyed also said a deepening recession was a key risk for the next

six months, with more than half expecting staffing levels and business volumes

to decline."