Asian View: Half Full and Half Empty

While the latest Duke University/CFO Business Outlook Survey found marked pessimism among CFOs regarding the economy (see By the Numbers, January), a recent survey of nearly 8,000 privately held companies finds them much more upbeat. Asia accounted for both the most optimistic and most pessimistic outlooks: the Philippines, India, and Vietnam topped the list of most optimistic countries, but Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan were at the bottom. Out of 34 countries, the United States ranked 26th in its level of optimism. Here's a snapshot: