Chief Executive Magazine keeps its finger on the pulse of the nation’s CEOs on a monthly basis, and for the last four months of 2007, that pulse was slowing down. Beginning in August, the magazine registered the longest unbroken slide in its CEO Confidence Index since its inception, as well as its biggest six-month drop.
The mood of CEOs remains generally positive. The overall level confidence was up 7.5 to 122.1 (par is 100), current confidence was up 6.7 to 156.5, business condition confidence was up 10.9 to 128.8, and employment confidence was up 2.8 to 132.4.
The general optimism is not as apparent when it comes to investment confidence, which had settled almost at the par level, was up 8.3 to 108.5. And it has a ways to go on the future confidence chart, where an 8.1 increase still left it below par at 98.9.
43% are looking for gradual economic growth in 2008, compared to 22% looking for gradual slippage. 32% expect no change.
Chief Executive Magazine based its findings on a survey of 292 execs.
