C-Suite Quarterly Survey: Canadian CEOs Bearish on Europe, Debt Levels and Their Own Compensation, All Day Today on BNN

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TORONTO, June 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, Business News Network (BNN) gives a look inside corner offices, revealing findings of the 27^th C-Suite Quarterly survey sponsored by KPMG and conducted by Gandalf Group. Beginning at 8 a.m. ET and continuing throughout the day, BNN taps top business minds about the results, breaking down what it means for the upcoming quarter. Respondents to this edition of the survey focused on the cash reserves of companies, international debt levels/access to financing, interest rates, and CEO Compensation.

BNN's in-depth look at the C-Suite Quarterly survey findings includes feature interviews throughout the day on THE STREET at 8:20 a.m. ET; BUSINESS DAY AM at 11:15 a.m. ET; THE BUSINESS NEWS at 12:10 p.m. ET; BUSINESS DAY PM at 2:20 p.m. ET; and THE CLOSE just after 4:30 p.m. ET. BNN's complete analysis of the findings is available online at BNN.ca post-broadcast.

"Canadian execs are optimistic about the North American economy, but there are worries about Europe," said Jack Fleischmann, General Manager, BNN. "BNN once again delivers our viewers the C-Suite Quarterly findings, allowing us to forecast the economic tone heading into the next quarter."

Key Findings of the 27^th C-SUITE Findings Include:

• Based on renewed optimism about the U.S. economy, business expectations for Canada's economy are improved this quarter.
• Four in five C-Suite Quarterly executives said the economy is in moderate growth.
• Canada's top execs have a more positive outlook for their companies than for the economy.
• There are still a number of dark clouds that executives see, but none darker than Europe which is preoccupying the Canadian business community.
• Almost half of Canada's biggest companies - 45% - are holding on to cash reserves rather than investing that money in capital, human resources or otherwise, as policy makers are urging them to do.
• There is considerable concern about the impact rising interest rates would have, and most in Ontario are opposed to any move by the Bank of Canada (BOC) to raise rates even a point.
• Most business leaders think that CEO compensation cannot be justified by improvements in shareholder value, and see growing income disparity as a negative development in society.

The C-SUITE Quarterly survey is conducted by Gandalf Group and sponsored by KPMG.

About BNN
BNN - Business News Network is Canada's only television service devoted exclusively to business and finance news with wall-to-wall coverage of the markets. The network features the only televised stock ticker with real-time data from the TSX, NYSE and NASDAQ. BNN provides Canadian investors with the latest business news, newsmaker interviews and stock market analyses. BNN is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company.  For more information about BNN, visit www.bnn.ca.

About Gandalf Group
The Gandalf Group is an opinion research and communications consulting firm. The firm's principals are nationally recognized leaders in research and communications strategy, providing advice to business, industry associations, public sector agencies and media outlets. The Gandalf Group has been conducting quarterly editions of the C-Suite survey on behalf of KPMG, The Globe and Mail's Report on Business and BNN since 2006. Past editions of reports on survey findings are available at GandalfGroup.ca.

About KPMG
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (kpmg.ca), a Canadian limited liability partnership established under the laws of Ontario, is the Canadian member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's member firms have 140,000 professionals, including more than 7,900 partners, in 146 countries.

The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity, and describes itself as such.

Shannon Gallagher, 416.384.4623 or [email protected]
Renee Dupuis, 416.384.3154 or [email protected]