Accountants Confidence Index

The Accountants Confidence Index took another slight step down for August.

After a strong June, the Accountants Confidence Index took a slight step back for July.

After a modest decline last month, the Accountants Confidence Index bounced back strongly, rising by more than a point in both the short- and the mid-term.

After the previous month's uptick, the Accountants Confidence Index dropped again.

After four months of decline, the Accountants Confidence Index bounced back.

The Accountants Confidence Index dipped for the fourth month in a row.

The Accountants Confidence Index dropped somewhat again, dampened by concerns about the effect of the government shutdown.

The Accountants Confidence Index looks gloomy for January.

After two months of climbing, the ACI had a slight setback for the end of the year.

The ACI continued to climb after a relatively steep drop for September, more than recovering most of its loss.

The ACI rebounded this month from a decline in the previous month.

Following a relatively flat month, the Accountants Confidence Index dropped more steeply for September.

The ACI held more or less steady this month, with respondents divided over the potential impact of tax reform, new tariffs and more.

After a slight rise after the end of tax season, the Accountants Confidence Index dropped slightly again.

With tax season in the rearview mirror, the Accountants Confidence Index edged back up after two months of decline.

The Accountants Confidence Index edged downward as tax season came to a close.

The Accountants Confidence Index dipped slightly again, but remained strongly optimistic.

After making the strongest gains in its history, the Accountants Confidence Index dipped a bit, but remained optimistic.

The Accountants Confidence Index made the strongest gains in its history.

The Accountants Confidence Index gave up some gains in the end game of tax reform.

The Accountants Confidence Index bounced up again amid uncertainty.

The Accountants Confidence Index dipped slightly for the month.

The Accountants Confidence Index regained some of the territory it lost last month.

After hitting a major high in July, the Accountants Confidence Index dropped back slightly.

The Accountants Confidence Index rebounded from a major low in June to a major high in July.

After giving up some gains in May, the Accountants Confidence Index plummeted in June.

After a jump in March and in April, the Accountants Confidence Index gave up some of those gains in May.

After a jump in March, the Accountants Confidence Index took another big jump in April.

After a slight decline, the Accountants Confidence Index took another big jump in March.

After two months of big jumps, the Accountants Confidence Index moderated slightly in February.

The Accountants Confidence Index followed through on the big jump it took following the election with another increase in January.

The Accountants Confidence Index took one of its biggest jumps in its five-year history.

The Accountants Confidence Index continued to drop in the immediate aftermath of the election.

The Accountants Confidence Index took a dip in the run-up to the election, but the decline masked some significant upward spikes in certain components.

After a couple of months of melting in the summer heat, the Accountants Confidence Index reversed its decline with the return of cooler weather.

In the heat of August, the Accountants Confidence Index continued to melt, with the short-term index indicating expectations of contraction in the economy.

After two months of rises, the Accountants Confidence Index took a dip this month.

Following up on last month's rebound, the Accountants Confidence Index saw a rise for a second month in a row.

After three months of downward momentum, the Accountants Confidence Index saw something of a rebound this month.

The Accountants Confidence Index continued its slow downward slide this month.

The Accountants Confidence Index dropped a very little bit from last month, but remained divided, expecting contraction in the short term and growth in the mid-term.

The Accountants Confidence Index split the difference this month, with the short-term index rising slightly, and the mid-term measurement dropping just a hair.

After bouncing up in May, the Accountants Confidence Index dropped right back down in June, with both the short-term and mid-term measurements drooping.

After dipping in April, the Accountants Confidence Index bounced up in May, with both the short-term and mid-term measurements rising.

In April, the Accountants Confidence Index gave back the gains it made in March, dropping two points to almost exactly the same level as in February. Both the short-term and mid-term ACIs were affected, though it's worth noting that both remain over the 50-mark that separates expectations of growth from expectations of contraction.

After retrenchment in the last two months, the short-term and mid-term ACIs shot up by more than two points each, both driven by extremely strong rises in our panelists' predictions for growth at their large-business clients.

After February's retrenchment, the short-term and mid-term ACIs continued that moderation in March, dropping slighly -- though they remained comfortably in positive territory.

After three months trending upward, the short-term and mid-term ACIs both retrenched slightly in the first month of the year -- though they remained comfortably in positive territory.

After rising in November, the short-term and mid-term ACI readings both continued their upward trend in December, with the short-term and the long-term readings both both comfortably in positive territory.

After levelling off in October, the short-term and mid-term ACI readings both rose in November, with the short-term reading just barely nudging into positive territory.

The short-term and mid-term ACI readings both levelled off in October, with the short-term reading still indicating expectations of contraction.

The short-term and mid-term ACI readings both declined again in September, with the short-term reading indicating expectations of contraction.

The short-term and mid-term ACI readings remained in sync in September, though this month that meant that they both declined.

The short-term and mid-term ACI readings got back into sync in August, with both heading upward after diverging in July.

The short-term and mid-term ACI readings headed in different directions this month, though both remain positive.

After several months of decline -- and two months of predicting contraction in the short-term -- our Accountants Confidence Index sharply rebounded.

Our Accountants Confidence Index remained split between growth and contraction, after the short-term outlook dipped into the negative last month.

Our Accountants Confidence Index split between growth and contraction, with the short-term outlook particularly grim.

Our Accountants Confidence Index remained positive but dipped even closer to contraction, with the short-term outlook particularly grim.

Our Accountants Confidence Index remained positive but uncertain, with a slight boost in the short-term expectations of growth, but a slight decrease in the mid-term expectations.

Our Accountants Confidence Index wobbled slightly at the end of the year, though it continued its positive trend for the fourth month in a row, with expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index continued its positive trend for the third month in a row, with expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

After rebounding in October, our Accountants Confidence Index stayed positive this month, with expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

After a sharp drop last month, our Accountants Confidence Index made up the ground it lost this month, returning to expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

After three months of rises, our Accountants Confidence Index dropped sharply for this month, with expectations of contraction in the short-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index continued on a positive track from the previous two months, with expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index continued on a positive track from the previous month, with expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index bounced back from a few weak months, with expectations of growth in both the short- and the mid-term.

The moderation of April got even more moderate in May, with our Accountants Confidence Index dropping still further, and the short-term prediction even dipping below break-even into contraction.

Following last month's strong performance, our Accountants Confidence Index moderated a bit -- remaining in positive territory with predictions of modest growth in both the short- and the mid-term, but with readings that were somewhat down from our last two reports in February and March.

Following last month's flicker of hope, our Accountants Confidence Index moved even more firmly into positive territory for both the short-term and the mid-term.

After a long spate of pessimism, our Accountants Confidence Index shook off the gloom and reported an expectation -- just barely -- of growth in both the short-term and the mid-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index is much less pessimistic this month -- though it's still not optimistic, as our panelists still predict contraction in both the short term and the mid-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index dropped fairly steeply this month, with two main possible culprits: First, our panelists may not have been pleased with the results of the election -- the accounting profession's political action committees had, overall, supported Gov. Romney's presidential bid -- but given that they seemed optimistic in the previous month, it seems likely that the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, which was still being assessed as we polled our Executive Research Council, plays a bigger role in the decline in the December ACI.

Our Accountants Confidence Index is balancing on either side of contraction, predicting a shrinking economy in the short term, and very, very, very modest growth in the mid-term -- though they seemed a little bit more optimistic in the run-up to the election.

Our Accountants Confidence Index continues to straddle contraction, predicting a shrinking economy in the short term, and very, very, very modest growth in the mid-term.

Our Accountants Confidence Index indicated a contraction in the coming three months -- but saw a light at the end of the tunnel, or at least six months from now.

For the second month in a row, our Accountants Confidence Index indicated a contraction in the coming three months -- and for the first time, it indicated a contraction over the next six, as well.

The July installment of our Accountants Confidence Index marked a major milestone -- if a negative one -- when, for the first time since we started publishing it, our short-term ACI reading indicated that our panel of accountants expect a contraction over the next three months.

The June installment of our Accountants Confidence Index broke with the trend of the previous two months, with a dip that indicated wavering confidence in the profession for both the short- and the mid-term.

The May installment of our Accountants Confidence Index continued the cautious rise that began in April.

The April installment of our Accountants Confidence Index breaks the declining trend that marked the start of 2012, with a slight uptick.

The latest installment of our Accountants Confidence Index, the second of the new year, continued 2012's unfortunate declining trend. The ACI, created in partnership with ADP, is a monthly economic indicator that leverages the insights of accountants into the strength and prospects of businesses in the U.S.

The latest installment of our Accountants Confidence Index, and the first from the new year, broke with the holiday season's more optimistic outlook. The ACI, created in partnership with ADP, is a monthly economic indicator that leverages the insights of accountants into the strength and prospects of businesses in the U.S.

The fifth installment of our Accountants Confidence Index continued last month's more optimistic outlook. The ACI, created in partnership with ADP, is a monthly economic indicator that leverages the insights of accountants into the strength and prospects of businesses in the U.S.

The fourth edition of our Accountants Confidence Index offered a slightly more optimistic outlook for the holiday season and the start of 2012. The ACI, created in partnership with ADP, is a monthly economic indicator that leverages the insights of accountants into the strength and prospects of businesses in the U.S.

The third monthly edition of our Accountants Confidence Index showed declines in accountants' outlook for the future -- a slight one for the short term, and a more serious decline for the mid-term. The ACI, created in partnership with ADP, is a monthly economic indicator that leverages the insights of accountants into the strength and prospects of businesses in the U.S.

The second monthly edition of our Accountants Confidence Index shows the profession holding more or less steady in its forecasts for growth. The ACI, created in partnership with ADP, is a new monthly economic indicator that leverages the insights of accountants into the strength and prospects of businesses in the U.S.