A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists, while a reading above the benchmark means the opposite.

The monthly index has remained below the benchmark since May 2016, although the latest numbers marked the highest in six months.

The index is based on a survey of the business lobby group's top 600 member companies in terms of sales.

An index measuring local companies' sentiment on exports stood at 91.8 for next month, down from 96.4 for this month. On domestic sales, numbers fell to 99.0 from 100.8, the report said.

Meanwhile, the FKI said a BSI on the actual performance of local businesses came to 95.9 in March, down from 88.1 a month earlier, it said. (Yonhap)