CFO Signals: Q4 2019 – Downturn concerns dampen 2020 revenue, earnings, investment, and hiring expectations
A year ago, as CFOs looked toward 2019, just 28% said they expected the North American economy to improve over the next year – half the level going into 2018. Their assessments declined further in the first half of 2019 as growth expectations for revenue, earnings, and hiring all declined, and own-company optimism slid from its 2018 highs.
This quarter, as CFOs enter toward 2020, little has changed on economic and policy fronts to raise their outlook. The US economy is again the relative bright spot, with 30% of CFOs expecting improvement this year. The 2020 US elections loom large, however, with nearly two-thirds saying US economic performance beyond 2020 will depend substantially on the outcome.
Additionally, as we do in every fourth quarter survey, we asked CFOs about their outlooks on a number of fronts including capital markets, their geographic focus for 2020, and the pressure their companies are under to address climate change.
This publication was released by our US firm.
