Reuters (12/02/14) Nick Carey

The latest quarterly survey from the Business Roundtable reveals pessimism among U.S. chief executive officers when it comes to spending and the economic outlook, with 36% of the 129 respondents planning to boost capital spending in the next six months, down from 39% in the third quarter. The Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outlook Index slipped from 86.4 in the third quarter to 85.1 in the fourth quarter, though it remains above the long-term average of 80.3.

However, chief executives are more bullish when it comes to hiring, with the percentage of those planning to take on more workers during the next six months rising from 34% in the third quarter to 40% in the current quarter.