Company CEOs expect to increase spending, hiring

The CEOs of America’s leading companies anticipate higher sales and plan to increase capital expenditures and employment over the next six months, according to the results of Business Roundtable’s 1st quarter 2011 CEO Economic Outlook Survey. Roundtable member CEOs estimate real GDP will grow by 2.9% in 2011, an increase from the 2.5% expected in the 4th quarter of 2010.
92% of the CEOs expect sales to increase over the next 6 months, up from 80% in the 4th quarter of 2010; 62% expect to increase spending over the next 6 months, up from 59% in the 4th quarter of 2010; 52% expect to increase hiring over the next 6 months, up from 45% in the 4th quarter of 2010.
Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of U.S. companies with nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 13 million employees.