SMEs still upbeat about rest of the year, but trade tensions weigh on sentiment

Singapore

SINGAPORE'S small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain upbeat about their prospects for the second half of this year, but caution has crept in as a result of the ongoing US-China trade tensions.

The Singapore Business Federation-DP (SBF-DP) Info SME Index dipped marginally from 51.8 to 51.5 in its latest poll, indicating a slight easing of optimism among these smaller businesses. A score of above 50 indicates an expectation of growth, and one below 50, an expected contraction.

Among the six sectors, Business Services had the highest overall index score of 52.3. It also had the highest turnover and profitability expectations sc…