Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers worsened to 11 in March from 13 three months earlier, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed Monday.

The reading of the key index measuring confidence among companies such as those in the auto and electronics sectors dropped for the first time in four quarters. The average market forecast was 9 in a Kyodo News survey.

The index for large nonmanufacturers, including the service sector, rose to 34 from 32 in the previous survey in December.

==Kyodo

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