Top executives of North American companies said expectations for earnings and revenue growth for the next year have declined slightly, but prospects to return more money to shareholders are on the upswing, according Deloitte's quarterly survey of more than 130 chief financial officers.
The big picture: At U.S. companies, expectations for shareholder payouts are at the highest level in the survey's 8-year history, accelerated in recent months — along with stock buybacks — by proceeds from the GOP's tax law. Whether corporations use the windfall to fund dividends or share repurchases as opposed to reinvesting in the broader economy has been a sticking point for those who oppose the tax law.