View From the C-Suite

October 16, 2017

Since 1955, Fortune magazine has annually ranked the 500 largest U.S. companies. By looking at the industries that have dominated the Fortune 500 list over the decades, it is easy to see how the list can serve as a reflection of the overall direction of our economy.

For instance, when the list was first published, it primarily focused on manufacturing, mining and energy businesses. In 1995, it expanded to include service companies, such as retailers and technology businesses, allowing Walmart and Microsoft to join the ranks. Today, there are 43 technology companies on the list, accounting for 10.4 percent of the Fortune 500’s annual revenues.

In her recent column for South Florida Business and Wealth, WE Family Offices Partner Julie Neitzel gathered insights from CEOs of the companies that appear on this year’s list, focusing primarily on their economic outlooks and expectations.

Fortunately, according to Neitzel, CEOs are optimistic about the future, with 96 percent holding a better or same view on the global economic outlook over the coming year. She also outlined their predictions for investing within the United States, as well as challenges many CEOs expect to face in the future.

The complete South Florida Business and Wealth article is available here.

Disclosure

This communication contains our current opinions and commentary, and does not represent a recommendation of any particular security, strategy, investment product or manager. The viewsexpressed here are subject to change without notice. This commentary is distributed for educational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or an offer of any security or service for sale. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its completeness or accuracy. No part of this letter may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without WE’s written permission.