Business sentiment erodes for 4th straight month

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- Major South Korean companies' business sentiment for
January of next year eroded for the fourth straight month, a private survey
showed Tuesday.
The decline was mainly due to lingering uncertainties over the government's
economic policy for the new year and fears of declining investments and
employment, the Federation of Korean Industries said in the survey of business
confidence among 556 large firms.
The monthly business survey index, an indicator of companies' outlook for the
coming month, was 103.1 in January, compared with 105.1 the month before, it
said.
The figure marked the lowest level since last September, when it stood at 117.0.
The January index remained above 100, however, meaning that a majority of
companies are anticipating that business conditions will improve rather than
deteriorate.
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