AFP Corporate Cash Indicators®

January 2022 Results:

During the fourth quarter of 2021, business leaders continued to build cash and short-term investment holdings but at a slower rate than the previous quarter. The quarter-over-quarter index decreased four points to +17, and the year-over-year indicator increased by four points to +25. The forward-looking indicator decreased 16 points from last quarter’s reading of +18 to +2. Thirty percent of companies plan to increase their current cash holding in the first quarter of 2022, and the primary reason driving this increase is improved business performance.

Read the accompanying press release here and access the interactive findings here. 

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How to read the results:

The indicators measure recent and anticipated changes in corporate cash balances by calculating the percentage of survey respondents reporting an increase (or expected increase) in cash holdings minus the percentage reporting a decline (or expected decline). Declining indicators are indicative of increasingly confident businesses. Conversely, rising indicators suggest growing pessimism.  

Why you should care about corporate cash holdings and the AFP Corporate Cash Indicators?

The reason is simple: all other things held constant, optimistic companies are more likely to deploy their cash holdings. Confident companies use their cash to make growth-orientated expenditures (e.g., increased capital expenditures, merger & acquisitions and hiring) and to increase dividend payouts and share repurchases. Conversely, pessimistic executives are likely to retain their cash holdings. 

• Historic data file (.xls)
• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

The AFP Corporate Cash Indicators (AFP CCI), provide treasury and finance professionals, policymakers and market analysts with timely data on a determinant of economic activity: corporate cash levels. 

About the AFP Corporate Cash Indicators

AFP Corporate Cash Indicators is a trademark of the Association for Financial Professionals. All AFP Corporate Cash Indicators^® survey questions, data and reports are the copyrights of the Association for Financial Professionals, and all rights are reserved. For information about including the AFP CCI on your site, please contact [email protected].