A survey by the Business Roundtable has revealed that CEO optimism rose by 9 points this quarter, driven by a surge in plans to increase capital spending. However, executives are split over how aggressively to hire, particularly due to uncertainty over a new war and an unresolved trade policy. The survey surveyed CEOs of America's largest companies and covered the first seven days of the Iran war. Despite the rise in CEO confidence, there are as many CEOs planning to reduce employment as increase it. The central question for the economy is whether this spending translates into demand for more workers.