Pessimism, tariff tremors prominent in A execs’ sentiment 4bo3h

Sentiment about the U.S. economy and A decision-makers’ organizations continues to decline in...

Sentiment about the U.S. economy and A decision-makers’ organizations continues to decline in 2025. Second-quarter results released Thursday by the AIA and CIMA show a rising percentage of pessimists and more concern about the affects of tariffs. To analyze the results further, the JofA podcast welcomed back Ken Witt, A, CGMA, associate director–Management ing Research & Development.
In last quarter’s Economic Outlook Survey, half of respondents were optimistic about their company’s outlook for the next year. This quarter, that percentage dropped to 37% — and it’s not the only area in which there is a decline.
Related resources:
n  JofA article on how finance leaders are countering tariff volatility.
n  The AIA and CIMA’s tariff resource center.
n  The previous quarter’s podcast discussion with Witt.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
·         The declines in domestic economic sentiment and own-company optimism.
·         Where optimism about the global economy stands.
·         Changes in the list of top challenges facing A decision-makers.
·         The “big topic” in this quarter’s survey.
·         An assessment of the impact of tariffs on respondents’ business planning.
·         A summary of respondents’ 12-month projections for revenue, profits, and spending.