TOKYO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Business sentiment among major Japanese companies in July-September turned positive for the first time in two quarters, a government survey showed Thursday.

The key index measuring sentiment among major Japanese companies of all industries stood at 4.7 in the survey conducted by the Finance Ministry, a turnaround from minus 1.9 for the previous quarter following a Japan-U.S. trade deal reached in July.

The business sentiment index is calculated by subtracting the percentage of firms reporting a deterioration from the percentage of those feeling that the conditions improved from the previous quarter.

Large nonmanufacturers' index stood at 5.2, while that of the manufacturing sector showed a reading of 3.8, according to the latest survey.

Despite the improved mood among large firms, smaller companies remained pessimistic, with the index at minus 9.6, the survey showed.

Around 11,000 companies responded to the Aug. 15 survey, conducted after Japan and the United States reached the trade deal that lowered tariff rates to 15 percent for Japanese cars and other products. ■