When QE2 Sails Off: Ask the CEOs

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Federal Reserve is expected to complete its Treasury-buying program by the end of the second quarter. The quantitative-easing program, dubbed QE2, aimed to keep a bid under long-term Treasuries with the intent of keeping interest rates low and stimulating the economy.

The question TheStreet posed to executives this week is what impact the conclusion of QE2 will have on the economy and business.

Symantec CFO James Beer

Symantec (SYMC) CFO James Beer does not foresee any immediate upheaval following the end of QE2. "It's no secret that quantitative easing is going to be phased out," he told TheStreet, during an interview at the company's annual analyst meeting in New York this week. "I am comfortable that the market has started to already price that in."

"I think that the impact will be gradual," he added. "We're comfortable, for our business, as we think about planning our business, [that] we will continue to be able to grow in the coming fiscal year."

The software maker enjoyed good top-line numbers during its fiscal fourth quarter earlier this month, continuing its recent run of strong results. Symantec is also one of TheStreet's hot tech security stocks.

---

Arvind Subramanian, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health Clinical Solutions

Wolters Kluwer Health Clinical Solutions CEO Arvind Subramanian: "I think that, from my perspective, it will ease the pressure on general consumer pricing, because less inflation is a good thing," he told TheStreet.

The CEO, whose company provides specialized IT services for the health care industry, says that the Fed's decision to end QE2 will certainly be felt in the broader economy.

---

Swift Transportation (SWFT) CEO Jerry Moyes: "Slight increases in the interest rates aren't going to hurt us too badly. The main question is how is it going to affect the economy. I think we're going to have some pretty good momentum going into third and fourth quarter, so hopefully it will not have a major effect."

---

Larry Goldenhersh

Enviance CEO Larry Goldenhersh: "We've had a steady influx of customers since 2001, so we've seen the boom, the bottom and the recovery," said the founder of the private environmental software firm in Carlsbad, Calif. "We don't expect our business to be affected by the end of QE2."

---

What are America's corporate leaders saying about the issues of the day? TheStreet's reporters, during the course of their weekly coverage, will pose a thematic question to the business executives they interview. Have a question you'd like to see TheStreet ask the CEOs? Send it to [e-mail]. Follow TheStreet on Twitter.

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.