YPO Global Pulse Survey: U.S. business leaders the most confident in the world

DALLAS, Nov. 07, 2017 -- YPO, the premier chief executive leadership organization in the world, announced today that the YPO Global Pulse Confidence Index for the United States edged up to 63.5 in the third quarter of the year (3Q 2017), making the United States the most confident region in the world.

U.S. chief executives have now recorded the most positive outlook globally in three of the last four quarters, reflecting continued optimism about the economy.

Despite a lag in the implementation of pro-business policies and regulatory amendments promised by the Trump administration, chief executives remain optimistic that the current economic climate of positive growth and mild inflation will persist in the short term, with almost half (44%) of respondents expecting economic conditions to improve over the next six months, compared with only 9% who predicted that the economic environment would deteriorate.

“The general feeling amongst business leaders is that the U.S. economy is in good shape and that there are plenty of opportunities for expansion over the next year. Chief executives will be keen to push through on their growth plans and capitalize on current market conditions,” said YPO member Jennifer Labit, President of Cotton Babies.

“They will of course keep a close eye on economic performance, both at home and globally, and to monitor for any disruption.”

Business leaders bullish about prospects for growth

The three key indicators of the YPO Global Pulse Confidence Index, namely sales, hiring and fixed investment, remained stable as chief executives remained extremely optimistic about the prospects for their own organizations over the next year.

The YPO Sales Confidence Index for the United States remained very positive with a score of 69.5. More than two-thirds (69%) of business leaders expected to increase revenues, 26% believed sales would stay at the same level, and only 5% predicted a decline in turnover.

When it came to staff complement, hiring confidence increased by 1.0 point, to 62.5. Almost half (49%) of respondents expected to increase headcount, 48% believed that numbers will remain steady, while only 3% predicted cuts to staff numbers.  

The fixed investment outlook remained stable at 61.7, and almost half (46%) of respondents predicted increased fixed investment spending, while 7% felt investment levels would reduce. About half (47%) expected spending to remain unchanged.

Global Review

Globally, confidence remained steady at 62.4, now firmly in positive territory for four consecutive surveys, hovering between of 62.0 and 62.5. Canadian confidence remained positive, declining marginally by 1.1 points to 61.8, and Australasia saw a 3.7-point decline to 63.3. In Europe the mood remains upbeat, as the European Union (EU) slipped slightly by 1.2 points to 61.8, and non-EU Europe edged down 1.7 points to 58.6. In Asia, confidence rose 1.3 points to 62.8, driven by an 8.8-point leap in China, and improved confidence in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Elsewhere, confidence in Latin America jumped 2.8 points to 62.0, largely driven by Brazil’s 8-point hike in confidence. In Africa, the confidence edged up 1.2 points to 57.5, yet it remains the second least-confident region, trailed only by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where confidence increased 2.5 points to 53.2.

YPO Global Pulse^® Confidence Index

The quarterly electronic survey, conducted in the first two weeks of October, gathered answers from 925 chief executive officers across the globe, including 346 in the United States. Visit www.ypo.org/globalpulse for more information about the survey methodology and results from around the world.

About YPO 

The premier leadership organization of chief executives in the world.

YPO is the global platform for chief executives to engage, learn and grow. YPO members harness the knowledge, influence and trust of the world’s most influential and innovative business leaders to inspire business, personal, family and community impact.

Today, YPO empowers more than 25,000 members in more than 130 countries, diversified among industries and types of businesses. Altogether, YPO member-run companies employ more than 16 million people and generate USD6 trillion in annual revenues.

Leadership. Learning. Lifelong. For more information, visit‪ YPO.org.

Contact:
YPO
Linda Fisk
Office: +1 972 629 7305 (United States)
Mobile: +1 972 207 4298
[email protected]