Several analysts have expressed optimism of a better gross gaming revenue this month, quickly brushing aside the disappointing January data.

The cause of optimism for HongKong-based brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd., JP Morgan Securities Asia Ltd., and Telsey Advisory Group is the unnoficial industry data of Macau casino’s gross gaming revenue for the first week of February.

The unofficial record showed that Macau GGR for the first five days of February was at MOP1.26-billion (US$157.69 million), which according to JP Morgan Securities Asia Ltd analysts DS Kim and Sean Zhuang was “second highest on record.”

 “This is the best daily run rate in 2.5 years (same as 2014 October Golden Week’s), and the second highest Chinese New Year run-rate on record (only after 2014 Chinese New Year, which was MOP1.6 billion per day),” the analysts said in its note issued on Monday.