TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - The Ministry of Finance said the second quarter diffusion index of leading companies' business sentiment stood at minus 8.6, compared with a revised minus 21.5 in the first quarter.
Initially the first quarter diffusion index was reported as minus 22.1. The ministry gave the following breakdown of second quarter indices, compared with the previous quarter:
Total - minus 8.6 vs revised minus 21.5
Manufacturers - minus 3.5 vs revised minus 28.1
Non-manufacturers - minus 12.2 vs revised minus 16.8

It also provided the following forecasts for the third and fourth quarters respectively:
Total - minus 2.5, plus 4.1
Manufacturers - minus 0.1, plus 8.5
Non-manufacturers - minus 4.2, plus 1.2

Previously in March, the ministry had made the following forecasts for the second and third quarters respectively:
Total - minus 10.0, minus 2.8
Manufacturers - minus 10.4, minus 0.4
Non-manufacturers - minus 9.7, minus 4.3