ABOUT THE CFO OUTLOOK SPRING UPDATE
Who participated and how results
were gathered
From February 16 through March 14, 2012, Granite Research Consulting completed 251 interviews with financial executives from U.S. companies with annual revenues between $25 million and $2 billion. Participants are referred to as CFOs throughout the report since two-thirds of those surveyed have C-suite titles and most are CFOs.
Economic theories and models abound as to what constitutes a fluctuation versus a fundamental shift in business cycles. There are a range of critical variables, with employment, output and prices chief among them. Pinpointing the beginning, middle and end of a given cycle, particularly one as profound as we have experienced in recent years, is a debate for the ages.
Tracking changes in CFO sentiment on these and other key measures, as we have for well over a decade, offers real-world perspective into the latest thinking of leading financial decision-makers. Results of our 2012 CFO Outlook Spring Update present a picture of burgeoning corporate optimism. Not since last spring have CFOs been this confident in the U.S. economy, sectors and their own corporate performance. While that optimism steadily declined throughout the past year, it has made a significant return along with plans for more hiring, greater profitability and operational expansion.
Turning confidence into sustainable corporate growth requires focused strategies, which we help companies of all sizes define and execute every day. Strengthening their capital base, creating a more efficient flow of funds and information, facilitating commerce locally and globally, and improving organizational controls and risk management. By providing value-added perspective and objective guidance, we put our clients' needs first and build relationships that last.
For more insight from America's CFOs, we invite you to view our complimentary webcast at
bankofamerica.com/cfooutlook.
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Laura Whitley
Head of Global Commercial Banking
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
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