In a survey released on Friday, about 28 percent of respondents expected their business situation to improve in the fourth quarter than the third quarter this year in Hong Kong, while six percent believed it would worsen. The latest quarterly business tendency survey, released by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong government, showed respondents in almost all the surveyed sectors had a favorable business outlook for the fourth quarter in 2010, particularly those in the retail, real estate, and financing and insurance sectors. While the proportion of respondents with positive expectations fell to 28 percent from 32 percent in the previous survey, the prevalence of optimistic business expectations remained broadly unchanged, the department said. In the manufacturing sector, however, the proportion of respondents with a favorable business outlook was broadly the same as that with an unfavorable outlook. Respondents in all surveyed sectors also expected a rise in business volume in the fourth quarter over the third on balance, especially those in the retail, real estate, accommodation and food services, construction, and financing and insurance sectors. 