Economic sentiment wanes – survey

Saturday, 17 May 2025 01:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In its May edition, pioneering business magazine LMD reports: “Businesspeople have downgraded their hopes of brighter economic prospects, compared to a month ago.”

“A notably cautious economic and business outlook has settled over corporates, with PepperCube Consultants reporting a more tempered perspective in biz circles. This is in line with the mighty fall in business confidence in April,” it notes.

LMD adds: “The latest LMD-PEPPERCUBE Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey, which was conducted in the first week of April, saw participants’ optimism about the economy ‘improving’ over the next 12 months dwindle, registering a 7% decline from March’s 73%, to around 66%.”

However, a quarter (25%) expect the economy to ‘stay the same,’ marking a 6% increase, and around one in 10 anticipate it will ‘get worse’ – up from

8% in the month prior.

The magazine also notes that “the downward shift in salespeoples’ sentiment has persisted for a second consecutive month, with only 78% of polled executives saying they expect an improvement in sales volumes over the next

12 months.”

“This represents a six point fall from March, which is a continuation of the downtrend that began in February, following a period of growing optimism,” a spokesperson for LMD explains.

Media Services, LMD’s publisher, says the latest edition of the magazine has been released and its digital edition has been shared on WhatsApp and the publisher’s social media platforms.

The magazine’s Cover Story features an exclusive interview with Colombo Stock Exchange CEO-Designate Vindhya Jayasekera, who says that the stock market has entered a phase of consolidation.

The full story has been uploaded on LMD’s website (www.LMD.lk).

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