SME business sentiment falls in January 

The current diffusion index on business receipts amongst SMEs dropped to 43.3.

Overall business sentiment amongst SMEs in Hong Kong fell in January, with the current diffusion index (DI) on business receipts decreasing from 45.5 in December 2023 to 43.3 in January.

Meanwhile, the outlook DI on business receipts for February was 45.3.

Data from the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) showed that current DIs on business receipts for all the surveyed sectors also dropped in January compared to December 2023, particularly for restaurants (from 45.9 to 42.2) and retail trade (from 44.9 to 41.7).

In addition, the current DI on new orders for the import and export trades also decreased from 45.3 in December 2023 to 43.2 in January.

The outlook DI on new orders in February 2024 was 43.5.