European CFO Survey Q1 2017

As well as covering topics such as risk appetite, financial prospects and strategic priorities, we also ask CFOs about their opinions on the future of the European Union, specifically the likelihood they attribute to further member states voting to leave the union in the next five years, as well as what the EU needs to do in order to guarantee the bloc’s success.

An optimistic outlook

Political shifts and external risks that have dominated headlines for the past two years led to ongoing uncertainty for CFOs. The Q1 2017 survey results shift, with corporates across Europe now more optimistic about their business prospects.

The data presented in this report shows encouraging evidence of their heightened optimism: a net balance of +25% of Europe’s CFOs reported higher degrees of optimism when asked about the financial prospects for their firms compared to three/six months ago. This rise in optimism in 17 of the 19 countries polled has come at a time when CFOs’ perceptions of external uncertainty are falling; although a majority still believe uncertainty to be above normal, this is the third consecutive quarter where perceptions of uncertainty have fallen.

Crucially, the improved outlook for Europe is also being reflected in CFOs adopting a much more positive attitude towards strengthening their company’s performance. Encouraging signs include increased risk appetite, a shift towards capital expenditure, an upwards swing in hiring and a positive outlook for revenues and margins.

For Turkey results, please click here.