The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (Foundation) released its September 2014 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 $827 billion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 60.2, an increase from the August index of 58.9.

The overall MCI-EFI is 60.2, an increase from the August index of 58.9.

• When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 36.4% of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, up from 18.2% in August. 60.6% of respondents believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, down from 78.8% in August. 3% believe business conditions will worsen, unchanged from the previous month.
• 30.3% of survey respondents believe demand for leases and loans to fund capital expenditures (capex) will increase over the next four months, up from 21.2% in August. 66.7% believe demand will “remain the same” during the same four-month time period, down from 75.8% the previous month. 3% believe demand will decline, unchanged from August.
• 15.2% of executives expect more access to capital to fund equipment acquisitions over the next four months, unchanged from August. 84.8% of survey respondents indicate they expect the “same” access to capital to fund business, and none expects “less” access to capital, both also unchanged from the previous month.

To view the full ELFF September report, click here.