October 2013 was the thirty-sixth occasion of the SME Outlook, a joint research project started by the HCCI Institute for Economic and Enterprise Research (IEER) together with Figyelő (the Monitor) and the Volksbank. The project examine the fiscal situation, prospects and factors affecting the financial position of companies within the Hungarian small and medium enterprise sector. In addition to questions on the business sentiment of enterprises, in each case our analysis looked into current issues and problems, and the corporate responses to these which, in turn, play an important role in this sector's adaptability, profitability and development. For the October 2013 survey 299 company managers replied to our questions over the phone.

Based on the results of the third quarter of 2013, the indicators show a positive image of the current situation of small and medium enterprises. All indicators for the current business situation showed an increase compared to the previous period. In contrast, expectations for the future indicate a negative outlook, as all such indicators fell. Altogether, these contrasting effects led the SME Business Climate Index to fall, thus the significant increase in 2013 reached a negative turning point. The Uncertainty Index decreased compared to the previous period, which represents a decline in the diversity of opinions among SMEs toward their current and expected business situations.