SINGAPORE -- (BUSINESS WIRE) --

After rallying 4.3 points in January to its highest level since July 2011, the YPO Global Pulse Confidence Index for Asia inched down just 0.1 point to 64.2 in April, with declines in Chinese confidence offset by rising optimism in Japan. The ASEAN economies are more confident than the region as a whole; their composite level edged up 0.9 point to 68.6.

The survey results were announced today by YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), a not-for-profit global network of 20,000 chief executive officers.

Key findings

Year-end euphoria tempered in China; confidence in Japan continues to rise. Disparate trends in China and Japan are revealed underneath the stability in regional confidence. In China, the YPO Global Pulse Confidence Index gave back 7 of the 21 points it had gained in the previous quarter on weaker-than-expected economic data. In contrast, the confidence level of Japanese CEOs increased for the second straight quarter to 57.1, its highest level in the history of the four-year survey. Business confidence levels in both Hong Kong and India remained virtually unchanged in the mid-60s.

Asian CEOs bullish on sales, hiring and fixed investment. The YPO Sales Confidence Index for Asia landed at 72.0, 5.7 points above the global composite index. Employment confidence landed at 59.5, slightly above the global reading of 58.2. Finally, the fixed investment confidence held steady at 65.5, above the global reading of 59.7.

CEOs optimistic about short-term conditions. Asian business leaders remain fairly upbeat about overall business and economic conditions over the next six months, with half (49%) saying they expected conditions to improve over this period of time and only 9% expecting them to deteriorate.

Commentary

“Concerns about the sustainability of China’s economic expansion appeared to be allayed earlier this year, but analysts interpreted more recent data as suggesting that the current economic rebound remains fragile,” said Terry O’Connor, regional chief executive officer of Courts Asia and chair of the YPO Singapore Chapter. “At the same time, new economic stimulus measures in Japan and continued strength in the ASEAN economies are keeping overall Asian confidence at a robust level.”

Visit www.ypo.org/globalpulse for more information about the survey methodology and results from around the world. For more information about YPO, visit www.ypo.org.

CONTACT:

YPO
Michèle Foster, +33-9-7044-0704
mfoster@ypo.org