Senior leaders in global finance are entering the next year with more confidence in the economy, while acknowledging that uncertainty is unlikely to fade anytime soon. That’s one of the main takeaways from the latest Future of Finance Study by Swiss and Spanish exchange operator SIX.
According to the survey, which gathered views from 291 financial institutions across Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, 69 percent of C-suite respondents expect the economic environment to improve for their organisation in the coming 12 months. That compares with 53 percent a year ago.
Improved sentiment
The improved sentiment follows a year of strong equity markets, with indices in the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, and Switzerland reaching record highs, and those in Hong Kong and Spain approaching similar levels.
Executives in Singapore and Switzerland were the most confident about their institutions’ growth outlooks, at 75 and 63 percent respectively. US respondents stood out on the lower end, only 43 percent described their organisation’s position for growth as strong.
Uncertainty a constant
Almost all executives (99 percent) agree that market uncertainty will remain a long-term feature of the global economy. Views are split on how to approach it: 58 percent see it as an opportunity, while 41 percent view it as a challenge.
Barriers to international trade and capital flows were cited most often as the main concern (36 percent), followed by investor risk aversion and geopolitical instability. The latter has featured among the top three concerns in most recent editions of the SIX study.
Focus shifts
SIX CEO Bjørn Sibbern noted that navigating ongoing volatility depends on reliable market infrastructure and access to quality data. The report highlights that adaptability, rather than optimism alone, remains a defining factor for financial institutions as they face persistent geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.
