	japan business decline seen bottoming out the extended decline in japan s overall business performance was likely to bottom out in the current january march quarter the finance ministry said improved corporate ings and better prospects for the stability of the yen had made companies more optimistic it said after carrying out a quarterly survey the survey conducted in february was based on questionnaires returned by large and small firms in all sectors except the finance and insurance industries the survey said overall corporate ings were expected to turn positive with an estimated pct year on year increase in the second half of fiscal ending on march after a pct decrease in the first half corporate ings will grow further in the first half of fiscal rising an estimated pct it added manufacturers ings hit hard by the yen s steady rise against the dollar will rise pct in first half fiscal after falling pct in the second half of fiscal it said overall ings of non manufacturing companies will rise pct year on year in the first half of fiscal after growing pct in the second half of fiscal the survey said it said this figure was bolstered by profits of firms such as electric power and gas companies which have benefitted from the yen s appreciation reuter 
