2016 AFP Risk Survey: Report of Survey Results

It isn’t getting any easier. That is the clear message from this year’s annual risk survey. The business environment remains challenging with 89 percent of respondents noting that their organization is exposed to the same or greater earnings uncertainty as three years ago. The top three risks for U.S.-businesses have remained unchanged for the past three years. As the U.S. heads towards a 2016 presidential election, political and regulatory uncertainty is seen as the top risk factor, followed by increased competition and ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. Concerns regarding the global economy are revealed as more “traditional” concerns for treasury and financial professionals as currency, commodity and interest rate risks rise in the rankings. Indeed, after two years of reduced focus, commodities are tagged as the leading driver of increased exposure to earnings uncertainty for publicly owned companies in this year’s survey.