U.S. Executives Expect Strong Growth

U.S. executives expect to see strong growth in sales and net profits in the second quarter of 1997, according to an industry survey released today.

Sixty-nine percent of executive surveyed said they expect sales to increase by the end of June, while 62 percent said they see net profits rising, according to the Dun & Bradstreet Corp. quarterly survey of 3,000 business executives.

Dun & Bradstreet, a Murray Hill, New Jersey-based information services company, surveyed executives in manufacturing, retail, wholesale and service industries on their expectations for sales, profits, hiring plans, inventories and new orders.

“Taken as a whole, this survey suggests that the U.S. economy is significantly strengthening for the first time in several quarters,” said Joseph W. Duncan, Dun & Bradstreet’s chief economic adviser.

High consumer confidence, stable prices and job growth, and rising investment levels have fueled company executives’ optimism for the second quarter, Duncan said.