CEO confidence at highest level in three years, new survey finds
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Corporate leaders are feeling good: A measure of CEO confidence rose to its highest level in three years, per a post-inauguration survey released Thursday morning.
Why it matters: The surge happened even as President Trump announced new tariffs on the country's largest trading partners, sparking fears of economic fallout for both companies and consumers.
How they did it: 134 CEOs from the Fortune Global 500 were surveyed from January 27 to February 10 by the Conference Board, in conjunction with The Business Council, a CEO membership group.
- Leaders were asked how they see current economic conditions, and expectations for conditions over the next six months in their own industry and the economy writ large.
What they found: Confidence surged 9 points to 60, the highest level since 2022 — and the first significant jump into clear positive territory in years (any number over 50 is considered positive).
Reality check: There are headwinds here. The share of executives that said geopolitical instability was a high-impact risk rose to 55%, up from 52% the previous quarter.
- Fewer said they were expecting to increase the size of their workforce — only 32%, compared to 40% in the previous survey.
- Other surveys out recently are painting a less rosy vibe, as well. Small business optimism fell in January, and optimism also declined among manufacturers in a survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
