CEO confidence rises as recession fear dips; top concerns are…

Confidence among U.S. chief executives shot up during the third quarter as trade fears eased.

The Conference Board’s Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose to 49 in the third quarter, up 15 points from 34 In the second quarter. (A reading below 50 reflects more negative than positive responses.) The survey, which also gauges CEOs’ expectations about future actions their companies plan on taking in capital spending, employment, recruiting and wages, was fielded from July 14-28.

All three components of the index improved from deep pessimism to near neutral, with CEOs’ views on current economic conditions making the sharpest recovery. Their six-month expectations for the economy as a whole and in their own industries also improved. Fear of recession within the next 12 to 18 months fell to 36% in the third quarter from 83% in the previous one.

CEOs ranked geopolitical instability and cyber threats as top concerns for their industry, while concerns about trade and tariffs eased somewhat.

CEO confidence rises as recession fear dips; top concerns are… | Chain Store Age

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