According to a survey of finance executives, optimism about economic growth and the global economy is up significantly from last year. 55% of finance executives say their companies are focused on growth, and 63% are optimistic about economic growth, more than double the rate from the previous year. Additionally, 60% of CFOs believe the global economy is improving compared to just 26% who believed this a year ago. The survey also found that confidence in areas like credit availability, global deal volume, and employment growth are all up compared to the previous year.

1. CFO Capital
Confidence
Barometer
55%
of finance
executives
say their companies are focused on growth
60%
of CFOs
believe the global economy is improving –
a significant increase from 26% a year ago
63%
of finance
executives
are optimistic about economic growth,
which is more than double from last year
67%
of CFOs
expect improvement in global deal
volume over the next year
22%
of CFOs
expect the economy to grow by 3-5% over the next
12 months, compared to 11% from last year
50%
of CFOs
report improving confidence in credit availability
38%
of CFOs
with cash to deploy say paying down debt
is their top priority for 2014
28%
of CFOs
expect to pursue an acquisition,
compared with 23% a year ago
35%
of CFOs
report that maintaining stability is their primary focus
43%
of finance
executives
are confident that employment will
grow in the next 12 months
To download the report, go to: ey.com/cfo
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