A Deloitte report says they are more optimistic this year, despite the geopolitical environment.
A Deloitte report released Wednesday suggests that the average chief financial officer (CFO) is taking a positive view of economic matters, with most putting revenue growth ahead of costs and financial performance.
The international consultant cum auditor surveyed 190 CFOs across Southeast Asia and held 11 one-on-one interviews in the second half of last year. All in all, sentiment showed an improvement from last year.
Cautious Optimism
«SEA CFOs are broadly neutral, albeit cautiously optimistic, about the overall economic outlook and their company’s financial prospects, which contrasts with the pessimistic sentiments that we observed last year,» Deloitte indicated.
About 82 percent are focusing on revenue growth ahead of costs (71 percent) and financial performance (70 percent).
More M&A
M&As continue to be high on the agenda, with over a quarter saying that the companies they are responsible for had completed at least one such transaction in the previous three years. At the same time, almost half believe that the average number of deals will increase in the next three years.
«This suggests that SEA CFOs have acclimatized and adapted to the new norm of ongoing economic and geopolitical volatilities – and this has, in turn, translated into a palpable focus on growth,” said Ho Kok Yong, CFO Program Leader, Deloitte Asia Pacific & Southeast Asia.
