Conference Board News Release (07/09/14)

The Conference Board and PwC’s Measure of CEO Confidence fell to 62 in the second quarter of 2014, down from 63 during the previous quarter. Forty-six percent of respondents said the economic climate is better than it was six months ago, down from 54% during the first quarter. Forty-eight percent said conditions in their industry have improved from the previous six months, up from 47% last quarter. However, just 46% of respondents expect improvement in their industries over the next six months, down from 52% in the first quarter.

Still “four out of every five expect profits will increase over the coming year, with market [or] demand growth the primary driving force,” says Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board.