By a wide margin, CEOs and business leaders on the COMPAS panel foresee near serious impacts on Canadian financial institutions as a result of the weakness in U.S. financial institutions. While perceiving the circumstances as at least somewhat grim, the overwhelming majority definitely do not consider the present situation to be comparable in magnitude to that of 1929. Almost a third consider the present situation as “a lot less serious” or, for a few, a situation to be largely unconcerned about.

Panelists oppose bailouts in general but make an exception in the AIG case because of concern about a domino effect from “a disorderly collapse” of the giant insurer.

These are the key findings from this past week’s Internet survey of CEOs and business leaders on the COMPAS panel. The weekly business survey is undertaken for Canadian Business magazine under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.