The sovereign-debt crisis in the Eurozone weighed heavily on many CFOs in the third quarter. Combined with fleeting consumer confidence and the continuing government struggles to find solutions, the fiscal uncertainty was enough to sink CFO optimism.
In fact, according to the latest Deloitte Global CFO Signals, which provides highlights of recent CFO survey results from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms, CFO optimism in some countries was at its lowest levels in several survey cycles thanks to both internal and external uncertainty.
That negative outlook is also weighing heavily on growth prospects, strategic priorities, and hiring in many countries. In response, cost control is again rising as a CFO priority and growth in some countries is being pushed farther out into the future. To find out how these CFOs are reacting to all the uncertainty, read the Global CFO Signals 3Q11 survey results. This edition highlights third-quarter 2011 results from 13 participating surveys.
Argentina
Skepticism reigns
Are we in a downturn? (in German)
Batten down the hatches
Belgium
Results under pressure
Ireland
Making strides amid international turmoil?
Japan
Recovering from disaster
Netherlands
Caution and defense
It’s the economy…again
Reduced optimism
Spain
Continuing pessimism (in Spanish)
Sweden
Confidence deteriorating
Switzerland
No more optimism—time for action!
United Kingdom
Corporates turn defensive
Q3 2011 Global CFO Signals (1013.85 KB)
Published November 2011; A DTTL Global CFO Program report; 33 pages.
