Confidence in the equipment finance market eases again in May to 63.2, down from the April index of 65.8, according to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation May 2017 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 $1 trillion equipment finance sector.
When asked about the outlook for the future, MCI-EFI survey respondent Valerie Hayes Jester, president, Brandywine Capital Associates, says, “Stronger demand has returned to our marketplace. I think the waiting game played by many small businesses in the first quarter has ended and demand is flowing more freely again. The changes to healthcare legislation may slow this down a bit, but I am optimistic that the year will end well.”
When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 22.6% of executives responding say they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, a decrease from 36.7% in April. Some 38.7% of survey respondents believe demand for leases and loans to fund capital expenditures (capex) will increase over the next four months, a decrease from 40% in April. And 12.9% of the respondents expect more access to capital to fund equipment acquisitions over the next four months, down from 16.7% in April.
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