SEB Financial Officers' Index: Volume and price increases ahead
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
Optimism is increasing among Swedish financial officers. A majority is now
expecting higher volumes to contribute to improved profitability in 2010. At the
same time the focus on cost cutting has been reduced. The potential for price
increases has improved and expectations that profits will rise this year are
high. The effects of the economic downturn have subsided with a clear majority
of officers now believing their companies' performance has bottomed.
SEB's Financial Officers' survey, addressed to around 70 of Sweden's largest
companies, shows respondents becoming increasingly positive towards the current
situation. SEB's Financial Officers' Index for February published today stands
at 60, up from 59 in November.
The Financial Officers' survey suggests respondents are more positive regarding
the current business climate.
"More than half of financial officers expect volume increases to support higher
profitability this year. Profitability improvements should be further supported
by cost cutting initiatives executed in 2009. Indeed, some 65 percent of
respondents expect improved profitability in 2010", says Ebba Lindahl, head of
Credit Research at SEB and co-author of the report with Disa Hammar.
Companies' financial positions have improved further.
"A total of 74 percent of financial officers now regard their company's
financial position as either favorable or very favorable, compared to a record
low of 50 percent in February last year. Willingness to lend amongst banks has
also improved significantly and companies are increasingly interested in making
strategic investments", says Hammar.
The survey shows that price hikes are in the pipeline.
"Financial officers regard the price outlook for their companies' own products
more favorably than in recent surveys, which should positively impact results
this year. Some 64 percent of respondents believe they will be able to raise
prices in the next six months, while 27 percent expect prices to remain largely
unchanged", says Lindahl.
This is the sixteenth publication of SEB's Financial Officers' Index, a unique
quarterly survey whose purpose is to reflect changes of sentiment in the
financial environment and facilitate the understanding of economic and financial
trends. The survey comprises a total of 15 questions covering areas such as
business climate, strategic investments, employment, views on currencies and
interest rates, financial strength, and lending attitudes amongst financial
institutions. The full report (in Swedish) is available at
www.sebgroup.compress.
__________________________________________________________________________
For further information, please contact:
Ebba Lindahl, Trading Strategy, SEB, tel. +46 8-506 232 08
Elisabeth Lennhede, Press Officer, tel. +46 70 763 99 16
[HUG#1387605]
Press release (PDF) : http://hugin.info/1208/R/1387605/345926.pdf
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 24.02.2010 - 07:31 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 12864
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