The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) releases the January 2013 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI) on Jan. 23.

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 $725 billion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 54.2, an increase from the December index of 48.5, reflecting industry participants’ improved outlook amid ongoing concerns with economic conditions and management of fiscal issues.

“We are still optimistic long term. My concerns are for the short term and the ramifications of the issues our country faces on the economic level,” said Valerie Hayes Jester, president, Brandywine Capital Associates in a press statement. “Demand seems to ebb and flow based upon the day’s headlines.”

January 2013 Survey Results:

The overall MCI-EFI is 54.2, up from the December index of 48.5.

• When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 6.1 percent of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, up from 5.9 percent in December. 87.9 percent of respondents believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, up from 73.5 percent in December. 6.1 percent believe business conditions will worsen, down from 20.6 percent the previous month.

• 12.1 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 8.8 percent in December. 75.8 percent believe demand will “remain the same” during the same four-month time period, up from 58.8 percent the previous month. 12.1 percent believe demand will decline, down from 32.4 percent in December.

• 18.2 percent of executives expect more access to capital to fund equipment acquisitions over the next four months, up from 14.7 percent in December. 81.8 percent of survey respondents indicate they expect the “same” access to capital to fund business, a decrease from 85.3 percent the previous month. No one expects “less” access to capital, unchanged from December.

• When asked, 24.2 percent of the executives reported they expect to hire more employees over the next four months, up from 23.5 percent in December. 69.7 percent expect no change in headcount over the next four months, up from 64.7 percent last month. 6.1 percent expect fewer employees, down from 11.8 percent of respondents who expected fewer employees in December.

• 87.9 percent of the leadership evaluates the current U.S. economy as “fair,” up from 76.5 percent last month. 12.1 percent rate it as “poor,” down from 23.5 percent in December.