ECONOMY

Pessimism Among Execs Grows: U.S. business executives have grown more pessimistic about fourth-quarter sales and profits, while their counterparts overseas have become a bit more bullish, according to a new survey. Dun & Bradstreet Corp., a business information company, said optimism among U.S. executives fell slightly, with the index dropping from 48 in the third quarter to 46 in the fourth quarter. Its overall worldwide index of business confidence rose to 31 for the fourth quarter from 30 in the third quarter. The index is calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents expecting decreases in sales and profits from those expecting increases.