The overall MCI-EFI is 50.0, a decrease from the July index of 56.2.
- When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 13.2 percent of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, slightly decreased from 14.0 percent in July. 65.8 percent of respondents believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, a decrease from 81.4 percent in July. 21.1 percent of executives believe business conditions will worsen, a sharp increase from 4.7 percent in July.
- 21.1 percent of survey respondents believe demand for leases and loans to fund capital expenditures (capex) will increase over the next four months, an increase from 14 percent in July. 57.9 percent believe demand will "remain the same" during the same four-month time period, a decrease from 74.4 percent the previous month. 21.1 percent believe demand will decline, up from 11.6 percent who believed so in July.
- 21.1 percent of executives expect more access to capital to fund equipment acquisitions over the next four months, down from 23 percent in July. 73.7 percent of survey respondents indicate they expect the "same" access to capital to fund business, a decrease from 76.7 percent the previous month. 5.3 percent of survey respondents expect "less" access to capital, the first time in nine months any respondents said they expect "less" access to capital.
- When asked, 23.7 percent of the executives reported they expect to hire more employees over the next four months, down from 32.6 percent in July. 65.8 percent expect no change in headcount over the next four months, an increase from 58 percent last month, while 10.5 percent expect fewer employees, an increase from 9.6 percent in July.
- 55.3 percent of the leadership evaluate the current U.S. economy as "fair," down from 72 percent who did in July. 44.7 percent rate it as "poor," up from 27.9 percent last month.
- 5.3 percent of survey respondents believe that U.S. economic conditions will get "better" over the next six months, down from 9.3 percent in July. 63.2 percent of survey respondents indicate they believe the U.S. economy will "stay the same" over the next six months, down from 79 percent in July. 31.6 percent responded that they believe economic conditions in the U.S. will worsen over the next six months, up from 11.6 percent who believed so last month.
- In August, 28.9 percent of respondents indicate they believe their company will increase spending on business development activities during the next six months, down from 44.2 percent in July. 68.4 percent believe there will be "no change" in business development spending, up from 55.8 percent last month, and 2.6 percent believe there will be a decrease in spending, up from no one who believed so last month.
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