A new survey of chief financial officers (CFOs) in the UK has showed that the financial decision makers are looking to increase hiring and investment during the coming 12 months.

The survey conducted by professional services group Deloitte on a quarterly basis showed that 81 per cent of those surveyed showed that British businesses are planning to increase the number of employees, about 80 per cent said that they expect higher capital expenditure and 95 per cent expect increased mergers and acquisitions.

The survey, which included 126 CFOs from more than a quarter of the companies in the FTSE 100 index, was conducted between 6 and 24 March, 2014. The survey showed that the businesses are increasingly ready to take on risks by increasing investment and taking more staff even as indications are that the UK economic growth might moderate in the coming period.

Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte said, "Easy monetary policy and favourable financing conditions have created a capital-rich environment for big UK corporates. CFOs are likely to draw down on that capital over the next year to fund expansion."