A new mood of confidence pervades the third quarter CFO Survey. Chief Financial Officers see fewer risks in the global economy and greater opportunities for expansion.

Key findings

  • CFOs' perceptions of external macro and financial risk have hit three-year lows.
  • The financing environment for corporates has improved still further. Cost of credit is at its lowest and availability at its highest since the survey began in 2007.
  • 54% of CFOs say now is a good time to take greater risk onto their balance sheet, a six-year high.
  • Austerity is out and expansion is coming in. Cost control and cash conservation are moving out of favour. Expansion is, once again, the top priority for corporates.

Read the full report here.

About the Deloitte CFO Survey

The Deloitte CFO Survey, launched in 2007, is a quarterly survey of Chief Financial Officers and Group Finance Directors of major UK companies. Over 300 CFOs, mainly from FTSE 350 companies, have joined the CFO Survey panel. The Survey captures shifts in UK CFOs' opinions on valuations, risks and financing and has become a benchmark for gauging financial attitudes of major corporate users of capital.

The Deloitte CFO Survey has been widely quoted in the media and is firmly established with policymakers. The Bank of England has cited the CFO Survey several times in its publications such as the quarterly Inflation Report and the monthly Trends in Lending report. The findings have also been quoted in the minutes of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee meetings.

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