Business Roundtable: Trade tensions weighing down business optimism

Business optimism and the U.S. economic outlook declined in the third quarter of 2019 due in large part to trade uncertainty, Business Roundtable announced Wednesday. The business group’s latest CEO Economic Outlook Index, based on a survey of CEOs of major companies conducted, is at 79.2, down 10 points from last quarter and below the historical average of 82.7. The survey this quarter included an additional question, asking how U.S. trade policy and subsequent retaliation had affected businesses. More than...