March 2015: CEO Confidence Among Mid-Market Firms Rises 4.5% Over March 2014

Mid-market CEOs were significantly more confident in March 2015 about their prospects a year from now than they were 12 months ago in March 2014. March 2015 register a 6.48 rating on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, as compared to a 6.20 in March year ago. In that time, oil prices have dropped significantly, the U.S. dollar has strengthened, jobs are on the rise and more companies are growing.

CEOs’ confidence in where they think their business will be a year from now was up 4.5% in March 2015 over the same year-ago period.

In comparison against last month, CEOs confidence was somewhat flat, registering a 6.48 on a 10-point scale, compared with 6.45 in February. February was one of the worst winter months we have had in years, and the weather in the north and midwest in March was not much better. Now that the season is turning warmer, that may have an affect on production and shipments and we may see a larger uptick in April.

Also, companies with global operations are struggling against the U.S. dollar, while energy firms are suffering losses. All of this is affecting CEO confidence.