SEOUL, June 19 (Reuters) - Asia's top companies have become more optimistic about their business outlook with the retail and shipping industries rebounding sharply in the second quarter of 2013, the latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey shows.
The Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Index climbed six points to 71 in June, its highest level in five quarters and the third consecutive quarterly rise. A reading above 50 indicates a generally positive outlook.
Global economic uncertainty remains the biggest business risk across most countries and sectors, but 44 percent of the 91 companies that participated in the poll are now positive about their outlook, up from 30 percent in the prior quarter. (Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Additional reporting by Maggie Lu Yueyang in SYDNEY and Ranjit Gangadharan in MUMBAI; Editing by Matt Driskill)