However, the percentage of companies expecting moderate growth, between  5-10 per cent, decreased by 5 percentage points from January to June 2013, while the percentage of companies anticipating negative growth between -5 and -10 per cent also increased by 5 percentage points. As a strategy to raise sales, most companies have chosen to introduce new products and services and the opening of new distribution channels. Regarding the decline in prices, there is a reduction of 8 percentage points in the focus on this factor, from 18 per cent in January 2013, to 10 per cent in June 2013.

Meanwhile, business leaders’ confidence in the industry their companies operate in decreased significantly between January and June: the proportion of companies not at all confident in the potential of their industry this year increased by 17 percentage points, up to 33 per cent of companies, while the percentage of companies somewhat confident decreased from 35 per cent  to 23 per cent over the same period – according to the study “A new vision for growth – June 2013” published by Ernst & Young.

Referring to the estimates on profit growth, these also remain positive, staying in the same parameters as in the January 2013 edition. In January, 68 per cent of respondent companies expected increased profits in 2013, in June the percentage of these companies fell by 2 percentage points to 66 per cent. Of the total companies, 11 per cent actually expect an increase in profits by 30 per cent.

The preferred financing instrument for investment in the next 6 months is still through bank credit for 45 per cent of companies both in January and in June, while venture capital investment has a decrease in preferences, from 8 per cent in January to 6 per cent in June 2013. (source: nineoclock.ro)