Thirty per cent of business owners expect a profitable fourth quarter, the most optimism seen since the financial turmoil erupted in the third quarter of last year.

The Census & Statistics Department's quarterly business tendency survey found more respondents expect their business situation to be better (30%) in Q4 over Q3, with 17% forecasting it to worsen.

The proportion of respondents expecting their business situation in Q4 to be better than the preceding quarter grew to 30%, as compared with 20% and 11% in Q3 and Q2.

The retail sector has the most favourable outlook, followed by the financing and insurance sector. However, 38% of respondents in the construction sector expect business to fall.

Consistent with the expectations on the overall business situation, respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect an increase in volume of business or output in Q4. Significantly more respondents in the retail sector, and financing and insurance sector, expect their volume of business to increase, as against those expecting it to decrease.

Respondents in most surveyed sectors have a favourable employment outlook for the fourth quarter. Yet more respondents in the import-export trade, and the wholesale and information and communications sectors, expect employment to fall.

More respondents in the real estate, retail, accommodation and food services, and transportation, storage and courier services sectors expect their selling price or service charge to rise, than those expecting it to go down. More respondents in the construction sector expect their tender price to decline, than those expecting it to rise.