SME business sentiment hits lowest since January

Ongoing uncertainties may affect near-term business confidence, an official said.

Business sentiment amongst small and medium-sized enterprises remained weak as the current diffusion index (DI) on business receipts dropped to 43.7 in September 2026 from 44.1 in August, according to data from the Census & Statistics Department (C&SD).

The September figure marks the lowest current DI on business receipts since January this year, when it stood at 43.4.

The outlook DI on business receipts also declined, from 47.6 to 47.4.

Current DI on new orders decreased from 44.8 to 44.3, whilst employment DI edged up by 0.1 points to 49.3.

A reading above 50 indicates that the business condition is generally favourable, whilst a reading below 50 indicates otherwise, according to the C&SD.

A government spokesman said that ongoing uncertainties in the external environment may still affect near-term business confidence.