Business sentiment among South Korean companies posted growth for the first time in five months, indicating that more firms have a rosy economic outlook down the road. 

The Bank of Korea(BOK) said Thursday that manufacturers’ business survey index(BSI) marked 68 in March, up five points from the previous month.

The manufacturers’ BSI had dropped consecutively after recording 71 in October last year.

The estimated BSI for next month also rose by four points to 70.

A BSI reading over 100 means that those who are optimistic about economic conditions outnumber pessimists.