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Midmarket companies expect risks to grow: Chubb

Posted On: Aug. 2, 2019 2:45 PM CST

Risk management

Half of middle market company executives believe risk for their company will increase over the coming year, according to a quarterly report issued Friday by Chubb Ltd.

This is a 1 percentage point increase from a first-quarter survey, according to the report issued by Chubb with the National Center for the Middle Market, which is located at the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business in Columbus.

Among other survey results, while growth in the middle market is decidedly strong, fewer leaders believe overall company performance is better today compared with a year ago, according to the report, “2Q/2019 Middle Market indicator, Mixed Messages Continue: Strong Growth; Cautious Outlook.”

In the first quarter, the number of firms reporting overall improvement in company performance dropped to 67% from 73% in 2018’s fourth quarter, according to the first-quarter report.

During the second-quarter report issued Friday, the confidence level increased by 1 percentage point, to 68%.

“Confidence in the economy is off the highs recorded in early 2018,” said the report. “Leaders appear particularly apprehensive about the next three months,” said the report.

The report adds, however, that “Despite these cautious attitudes, it appears that, at least for the time being, key growth behaviors will not change.”

It states also that in line with historical trends, the largest middle market companies with revenues between $100 million and $1 billion are growing the fastest.

The Middle Market Indicator surveys 1,000 C-suite middle market company executives across all industries. The online survey was conducted during the first two weeks of June.