The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation's new survey has some good signs.

Executives in the $628 billion equipment financing industry are feeling slightly more confident about future prospects, according to a new survey.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation’s monthly confidence index for April registered a 62.1, up a little from the 67.1 of March and the fourth straight month of increases.

It’s a good sign, although the industry’s gains are small, foundation officials said.

Thomas Jaschik, president, BB&T Equipment Finance, was among those who took part in the survey. Jaschik said he sees some signs for optimism.

“While the business climate has definitely improved over the last 18 months, American companies are still very cautious with respect to the growth and expansion of their businesses,” he said. “As they feel more confident in expansion, our market will grow as well.”