CFOs Give Mixed Opinion of Economy

A majority of CFOs and controllers are pessimistic about the economy, according to a new survey, but are more optimistic about their own companies.

Fifty-nine percent of the 222 CFOs and senior controllers surveyed by Grant Thornton in March said they believe the U.S. economy will worsen over the next six months, while 39 percent believe it will improve or remain the same. That represented a significant change in outlook compared to six months earlier when the previous survey was conducted. At that time, only 36 percent of the CFOs and controllers surveyed felt the economy would worsen, while 64 percent believed it would improve or remain the same.

However, only 15 percent of those surveyed believe their own financial prospects will worsen, up from 12 percent six months earlier. Forty-two percent of the respondents expect financial improvements over the next six months, up from 41 percent in the previous survey.

Meanwhile, 37 percent of the CFOs and controllers predict the prices or fees charged by their companies to increase, with 39 percent citing the rising costs of employee benefits as a leading factor.

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