Chart of the Day: Here are the services sector's expectations for Q4

A weighted 19% of firms expressed a positive outlook.

The Singapore Department of Statistics reported:

The majority of firms in the services sector (a weighted 63%) expect the business situation to remain unchanged for the period of Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 compared with Apr - Sep 2012. A weighted 19% of firms expresses a positive outlook, while a weighted 18% of firms expects business conditions to deteriorate.

Overall, a net weighted balance of 1% of firms anticipates an improved business situation for the six-month period ending Mar 2013. The magnitude of the net weighted balance recorded for Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 is comparable to the positive net weighted balance of 2% recorded for Jul - Dec 2012 in the previous survey.

The positive net weighted balance is in contrast to the negative net weighted balance of 9% registered in the survey conducted over the same period last year.