Economic sentiment flickers – survey

Tuesday, 10 June 2025 03:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Pioneering business magazine LMD has reported in its June issue: “The tide appears to have shifted again with businesspeople turning more optimistic.”

“The latest LMD-PEPPERCUBE Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey, conducted in the first week of May, sees participants’ optimism about the economy ‘improving’ over the next 12 months, rising to 76% – that’s a 10% increase from April’s 66%,” it explained.

Meanwhile, PepperCube Consultants notes a more positive business outlook. It observes that growth is anticipated over the coming 12 months.

LMD notes: “17% of respondents expect the economy to ‘stay the same,’ marking an eight point decline, while 7% believe it will ‘get worse’ – down from 9% in the month prior.”

As for sales volumes, the magazine reports: “The downward shift in salespeople’s sentiment continues for a third consecutive month, with 74% of polled executives saying they expect an improvement in sales volumes over the next 12 months.”

“This represents a four point dip from April, extending the decline that began in February,” it adds.

In the meantime, a third of respondents report an ‘increase’ in sales volumes compared to the previous month, which represents a 6% spike from the 60% recorded in April, LMD observes.

The magazine’s June Cover Story features an exclusive interview with Prof. Neelika Malavige from the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who says that “as a country, we could have achieved far more if not for the inefficiencies and constraints that persist in the system.”