{
  "id": 1468781,
  "title": "Singapore business sentiment recovers in Q2, outlook still cautious: SBF poll",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/singapore-business-sentiment-recovers-in-q2-outlook-still-cautious",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T10:19:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Business Times - Singapore",
    "slug": "the-business-times-singapore",
    "url": "https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/economy-policy/singapore-business-sentiment-recovers-q2-outlook-still-cautious-sbf-poll"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) reported a slight improvement in business confidence in the second quarter, with the quarterly Business Sentiment Index rising to 53.3 points from April to June. However, the overall sentiment remains neutral, with limited business expansion expected. The recovery in sentiment almost fully offsets the 2.1 point decline seen in the first quarter. Various factors, such as resilient domestic growth, artificial intelligence investment, and a moderate impact from the Middle East conflict, contributed to the improved outlook. Business sentiment was generally upbeat across different sectors, with banking and insurance, health and social services, and other financial and insurance industries showing the most optimism. Retail trade, education, and wholesale trade companies were the least positive. Real estate, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and IT and related services industries posted positive readings, while professional services, logistics, transportation, hotels, restaurants, and accommodation, and education were less optimistic. Cost pressures continued to impact businesses, with the cost expectations index decreasing to 71.2 points from 75.9. Despite this, businesses still anticipate cost pressures due to higher energy prices, rising material, and supply chain costs. The hiring outlook also remained stable, with a slight increase in the hiring outlook index to 56.3 points from 55.1. However, hiring sentiment decreased for hotels, restaurants, and accommodation, as well as logistics and transportation, and manufacturing. Ongoing energy-market pressures and uncertainty surrounding US trade policy may hinder further optimism.",
  "summary": "Cost pressures keep a lid on rebound prospects; firms likely to pause hiring",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}