D&B Report

Business optimism has turned positive on a year-on-year basis for the ongoing quarter after witnessing negative growth throughout 2020, amid rising consumer demand, higher businesses transactions and normalisation of supply disruptions, according to a survey. The Dun & Bradstreet Composite Business Optimism Index stood at 79.9 for the first quarter of 2021, registering an increase of 26.8 per cent as compared to the year-ago quarter. Five out of six optimism indices have registered an increase as compared to the first quarter of 2020. The latest survey was carried out in December and covered 350 chief executive officers and managing directors. "The survey data indicates a positive upturn in GDP growth during January-March 2021. The latest Index reflects the optimism generated from green shoots of economic recovery and the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines from January 2021," said Dun & Bradstreet Global Chief Economist Arun Singh. Singh further said the surge in optimism is also

The confidence level of chief financial officers over the overall financial and macro-economic conditions in the country reached an all-time low for the October-December quarter, says a report. According to the Dun and Bradstreet Composite CFO Optimism Index report based on the survey of over 350 respondents, the confidence in financial and macro-economic conditions has declined. The Dun & Bradstreet Composite CFO Optimism Index showed a decline of 8.4 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 98.1 during Q4 2020, bringing the Index to a record low. The index has, however, registered an increase of 32.1 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis and the risk perception still remains high amongst respondents. As per the report, the pace of contraction in GDP has slowed down considerably during Q2 FY21. "Economic activities are firming up. The GDP is expected to register a modest positive growth in Q3 FY21 or Q4 2020," the report said. The survey further noted that the share of respondents ..

Business optimism for the January-March 2019 quarter witnessed a decline of over 7 per cent on a quarterly basis, due to uncertainties regarding the outcome of general elections and continuation of reform agenda, according to a report. The Dun & Bradstreet Composite Business Optimism Index stood at 73.8 during January-March 2019, a fall of 7.2 per cent as compared to October-December 2018. Moreover, five of the six parameters -- optimism for net profit, new orders, volume of sales, inventory and selling price -- also registered a decrease compared to fourth quarter of 2018, the report noted. The sixth parameter, workforce employed, saw a rise of 7 percentage points. "The ruling party in the Centre lost three states in the state elections, possibly leading to questions amongst businesses, whether we would have a new government in Centre, whether we would have a continued reform agenda. Going ahead, the announcements in the Union Budget 2019-20 and trepidations over the outcome of ..