Confidence among major Japanese manufacturers worsened for the fourth straight quarter in December to 7 from 8 three months earlier, taking a hit from surging costs and aggressive monetary tightening overseas that has raised concerns about slowing global growth, Bank of Japan data showed Wednesday.The mood among large nonmanufacturers, meanwhile, continued to improve, with its reading rising to 19 from 14, its highest since before the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, helped by the lifting of antivirus curbs and government support to spur the battered tourism industry.The average market f…READ FULL ARTICLE
