World Business Survey Shows Optimism

WASHINGTON —  Business executives in every worldwide market except the Pacific Rim expect growth in the second quarter of 1998 to accelerate, according to a quarterly survey released Thursday.

Dun & Bradstreet Corp.’s world indexes, which are composite figures of executives’ expectations from every region, posted gains in sales, profits, inventories and employment in the second quarter. At the same time, executives surveyed said they expect prices to decline.

The survey found that executives in Europe and North America remain upbeat, while companies in Japan, Taiwan and other nations in the Pacific Rim that have seen their economies tumble were more pessimistic.

Dun & Bradstreet’s world sales index rose to 51 in the second quarter from 50 in the first quarter, while the profit index increased to 43 from 40. The employment index rose to 23 from 21, and the inventories index was up to 16 from 13. The index for selling prices fell to 18 from 23.

The second quarter’s positive readings mean that more companies surveyed expect an increase in business than see business slowing.

By region, the sales index for North America rose to 61 in the second quarter from the first quarter’s 60. The sales index for Europe rose to 46 in the second quarter from 44.