Deloitte CFO survey reveals double-dip fears
Economic optimism the highest for two years, but nearly half of all survey respondents fear a double-dip recession for the UK.
Deloitte has published its quarterly CFO survey, revealing that despite a rise in optimism amongst financial chiefs, fears of a double-dip recession remain.
The survey featured the opinions of 128 finance directors and CFOs, and confirmed that despite an improved level of willingness to take risks, companies still felt the cost and availability of capital was too high.
Furthermore, 48% of respondents felt the UK economy remained at risk from a double-dip recession. Despite these strong fears, Ian Stewart, chief economist for Deloitte said: “CFOs anticipate a weak recovery. However, balance sheet and liquidity risks have reduced in the last year, meaning corporates should be in a much stronger position to withstand any possible ‘double dip’.”
Despite concerns of a recessionary double-dip, the perception of robustness within the banking sector has become more positive. Over three-quarters of respondents (78%) believed the banks are now strong enough to maintain the UK economy’s recovery.
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