Japanese manufacturers’ business outlook was less pessimistic in October while service-sector sentiment rose to a three-month high, the Reuters Tankan poll found, likely easing fears for now of the world’s third-largest economy falling into a recession. The results could bolster the government’s expectations that solid domestic demand will help counter the drag from exports, as the Sino-U.S. trade war and global slowdown weigh on the country’s economic growth. That offers relief to policymakers who are under pressure to deploy further stimulus to prevent the trade-dependent economy from falling into a recession. ... (full story)