Equipment leasing industry confidence eases again in October
Demand is seen as consistent but not stellar.
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation has released its October 2015 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). Designed to collect leadership data, the index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $903 billion equipment finance sector.
Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 58.7, easing from the September index of 61.1, following a sharp rise in the August index.
When asked about the outlook for the future, MCI-EFI survey respondent Valerie Hayes Jester, President, Brandywine Capital Associates, Inc., said, “Demand is consistent but not what we would have expected coming into the fourth quarter. We see many of our small business customers delaying purchases or putting the equipment acquisition decision through more evaluation than we had seen in the last year. Margins are still under pressure given the amount of liquidity in the market. Portfolio performance continues to be strong.”
October 2015 Survey Results:
The overall MCI-EFI is 58.7, easing from the September Index of 61.1.
• When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 14.8% of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, a decrease from 22.2% in September. 77.8% of respondents believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, an increase from 70.4% in September. 7.4% believe business conditions will worsen, unchanged from the previous month.
• 22.2% of survey respondents believe demand for leases and loans to fund capital expenditures (capex) will increase over the next four months, down from 29.6% in September. 70.4% believe demand will “remain the same” during the same four-month time period, up from 59.3% the previous month. 7.4% believe demand will decline, a decrease from 11.1% who believed so in September.
• 22.2% of executives expect more access to capital to fund equipment acquisitions over the next four months, down from 25.9% in September. 77.8% of survey respondents indicate they expect the “same” access to capital to fund business, up from 70.4% in September. None expect “less” access to capital, down from 3.7% the previous month.
• When asked, 40.7% of the executives report they expect to hire more employees over the next four months, an increase from 37.0% in September. 51.9% expect no change in headcount over the next four months, down from 59.3% last month. 7.4% expect to hire fewer employees, up from 3.7% in September.
• 3.7% of the leadership evaluate the current U.S. economy as “excellent,” an increase from none last month. 88.9% of the leadership evaluate the current U.S. economy as “fair,” down from 96.3% in September. 7.4% rate it as “poor,” an increase from 3.7% the previous month.
• 7.4% of the survey respondents believe that U.S. economic conditions will get “better” over the next six months, a decrease from 18.5% who believed so in September. 77.8% of survey respondents indicate they believe the U.S. economy will “stay the same” over the next six months, up from 74.1% in September. 14.8% believe economic conditions in the U.S. will worsen over the next six months, an increase from 7.4% who believed so last month.
• In October, 40.7% of respondents indicate they believe their company will increase spending on business development activities during the next six months, a decrease from 51.9% in September. 59.3% believe there will be “no change” in business development spending, an increase from 44.4% last month. None believe there will be a decrease in spending, a decrease from 3.7% last month.
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The October/November 2024 of Contractor Supply magazine is here!
Our cover story, A Rewarding Passion - Dale Hahs II, third-generation of Denver's AIS Industrial & Construction Supply, is STAFDA's incoming 2025 president.
A Special STAFDA section featuring a welcome address, an agenda, session previewss by presenters and much more. Also in this issue are our Industry Updates on: Lifting, Moving and Material Handling; Lasers, Levels and Measurement; Hand Tools; Cordless Power Tools; Drill Bits and Cutting Tools; and Toolboxes, Bags and Belts.
This digital edition, sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc., is fully searchable and contains live links to every advertiser and new product listing. Click away!
| Read the Articles Read the Digital Edition |
