It took a while, but many CFOs finally seem to be looking
forward—with anticipation, not anxiety. Worries over the
currency crisis in Europe and possible slowdowns in China and the
U.S. appear to have eased. Moreover, many companies have the means
to grow organically and internationally. Little wonder that the
latest Global CFO Signals, which provides highlights of recent CFO
survey results from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms,
shows improved optimism among CFOs in many of the 16 countries
and/or regions reporting.
Driving that optimism is a palpable sense of relief. CFOs'
perceptions of macroeconomic and financial uncertainty in the UK,
for example, have dropped to a two-and-a half-year low. But
it's not all good news. In Belgium, a quarter of CFOs do not
expect growth there before 2015. And more than half of China's
CFOs expressed doubt about a recovery in U.S. and
Europe—although most were confident their own country could
meet its annual GDP target.
