Domestic growth tops CFO views.

• Position: SURVEY - Chief financial officers - Survey

Results from FEI's first quarter 2012 CFO Outlook Survey reveal that domestic growth is at the top of the list of concerns for participants--financial leaders in the United States, Italy and France. Domestic growth was rated first or second in regard to economic worry by 48 percent of the respondents, echoing the findings of financial officers a year ago.

U.S. chief financial officers continue to forecast higher projections for their businesses over the next 12 months than do their European counterparts, with double-digit increases in the areas of capital spending and net earnings (both 13 percent).

U.S. technology spending is expected to rise about 9.1 percent and revenue should increase 8.2 percent. On average, European CFOs expect more modest increases in these areas.

Given the ongoing uncertainty in Greece, CFOs across the board are anxious about the fate of the euro zone. Asked to rate their concern on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being unconcerned and 5 most concerned, nearly all of the U.S. CFOs (93 percent) selected a 3 or higher. French and Italian CFOs opted for 3 or higher 77 percent of the time.

Thirty percent of European CFOs feel the...