The Cabinet Office announced Tuesday that Japan Eco Watchers' index for current conditions slid 0.3 points to 49.7 in July (on a seasonally adjusted basis). The reading for the previous month was unrevised at 50. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 49.8. Meanwhile, the outlook index went down to 50.3 in July from 50.5 in June. Any reading above 50 indicates optimism and a reading below 50 suggests pessimism.