(Click on JP/TAN1 for main story) TOKYO, March 17 (Reuters) - Sentiment among Japanese manufacturers strengthened in March, the Reuters Tankan poll found, suggesting the Bank of Japan"s tankan quarterly survey due April 1 will show an improvement in their business sentiment. The Reuters Tankan index readings are derived by subtracting the percentage of respondents who say conditions are poor from those who say they are good. A negative reading means that pessimists outnumber optimists. Following is a table of indexes for key sectors and a comparison with the Bank of Japan"s quarterly tankan survey: 2021 2020 JUNE (f"cast) MAR FEB JAN DEC NOV OCT =============================================================== MANUFACTURERS (+15) +6 +3 -1 -9 -13 -26 --------------------------------------------------------------- (Materials) (+7) 0 0 -14 -20 -19 -40 - Textiles/paper (-25) -42 -33 -46 -36 -33 -64 - Chemicals (+33) +33 +29 +19 0 -5 -19 - Oil refinery/ceramics (+33) +17 +14 0 -14 0 -14 - Steel/nonferrous metals (-20) -20 -22 -45 -50 -45 -78 (Manufactured products) (+19) +10 +3 +7 -2 -10 -19 - Food (-10) 0 +18 +18 +18 -9 0 - Metal products/machinery (+30) +9 +12 +7 -22 -4 -13 - Electric machinery (+25) +15 +5 +5 0 -5 -14 - Autos/transport equipment(+23) +16 -7 +15 +23 -17 -23 - Precision machinery/others(+12) +6 -11 -6 -14 -22 -50 =============================================================== NON-MANUFACTURERS (+5) -5 -7 -11 -4 -13 -16 --------------------------------------------------------------- - Real estate/construction (0) +5 +5 -8 0 -8 -8 - Retail/wholesale (+6) -6 -13 -15 -5 -17 -25 - Wholesalers (-5) -26 -27 -27 -19 -33 -40 - Retailers (+23) +23 +8 0 +12 0 -6 - Information/communications(+50) +42 +44 +36 +36 +27 +42 - Transport/utility (-5) -10 -5 -20 -6 -11 -26 - Other services (-9) -35 -32 -29 -27 -34 -36 =============================================================== *** COMPARISON WITH BANK OF JAPAN TANKAN *** =============================================================== MANUFACTURERS NON-MANUFACTURERS RTRS BOJ RTRS BOJ --------------------------------------------------------------- JUNE 2021 (forecast) +15 - +5 - MAY - - - - APR - (-8) - (-6) MAR +6 - -5 - FEB +3 - -7 - JAN -1 - -11 - DEC 2020 -9 -10 -4 -5 NOV -13 - -13 - OCT -26 - -16 - SEP -29 -27 -18 -12 AUG -33 - -23 - JULY -44 - -26 - JUNE -46 -34 -32 -17 MAY -44 - -36 - APRIL -30 - -23 - MARCH -20 -8 -10 +8 FEB -5 - +15 - JAN -6 - +14 - DEC 2019 -6 0 +14 +20 NOV -9 - +12 - OCT -5 - +25 - SEP -7 +5 +19 +21 AUG -4 - +13 - JULY +3 - +25 - JUNE +6 +7 +22 +23 MAY +12 - +27 - APRIL +8 - +24 - MARCH +10 +12 +22 +21 FEB +13 - +22 - JAN +18 - +31 - DEC 2018 +23 +19 +31 +24 NOV +26 - +30 - OCT +28 - +24 - SEPT +26 +19 +33 +22 AUG +30 - +25 - JULY +25 - +34 - JUNE +26 +21 +35 +24 MAY +22 - +39 - APRIL +21 - +36 - MARCH +28 +24 +35 +23 FEB +29 - +33 - JAN +35 - +33 - ---------------------------------------------------------------- (Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)