2024 State of the Market Survey
Near the end of 2023, Capstone Strategic, Inc., a Vienna, Virginia based consulting firm specializing in middle market Mergers and Acquisitions, reached out to nearly 700 current and former clients to collect their thoughts and opinions on the growth environment in their industry and how they felt about near-term growth prospects for their companies.
38% of the respondents were from the banking and financing industry. Other industries represented included: aerospace, agriculture, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, and real estate. 36% of the respondents were CEOs, with the rest consisting of C-suite executives, vice presidents, and managers.
When asked “What kind of growth is your industry as a whole currently seeing,” 75% of respondents stated they were experiencing “Modest growth”, with 9% reporting “High growth” and 13% reporting “Stagnation” in their industry.
In terms of the factors respondents felt had the most impact on growth in their industry, the top three responses given were, “The state of the economy,” “Inflation pressures,” and “Changes in market demand.”
“Given 4 out of 5 respondents reported undertaking some sort of M&A or external growth activity in 2023, it is no surprise that they are confident about the growth of their business in 2024 and beyond,” said Capstone CEO David Braun.
Looking ahead, the question “How optimistic are you about the future state of your business,” received a reply of “Optimistic” from 63% of respondents followed by 28% stating they were “Very Optimistic.” The remaining respondents opted for “Neutral” regarding their business outlook.
Regarding those factors contributing to their beliefs about the future of their business, the responses were quite varied. 29% of respondents said “Business strategies” were shaping their future assessments. 27% opted for “Financial Stability” as driving their outlook, while 24% chose “Market trends” and 16% selected “Innovation opportunities.”
As a final question, survey recipients were asked, “What keeps you up at night concerning your business?” “Competitive pressures” was the most popular response at, followed closely by “Talent acquisition and retention” and “Financial concerns.” Other reasons respondents stated for insomnia regarding their business were “Regulatory compliance” and “Market volatility.”
To download the full report, please visit www.capstonestrategic.com/grow-with-knowledge/survey-2024/
