Investment professionals around the world are relatively optimistic about the prospects for economic growth, suggests new research from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).
Specifically, 45% of the more than 550 global investors and analysts surveyed say they’re very confident about global economic growth, up from 22% in the previous year.
The research also notes that industry professionals say that they see geopolitical uncertainty as the top threat to their companies’ growth prospects.
“Protectionism, the future of the Eurozone and social instability also rank highly,” PwC reports, adding that 19% also expect technology to “completely reshape competition” within five years.
Read: Outlook 2017
“Investment professionals around the world are remarkably upbeat about global economic growth prospects despite recognizing the shifting political landscape in which companies operate,” says Richard Sexton, vice chairman of PwC, in a statement. “They certainly don’t expect the globalization process to stop or be reversed.”
PwC’s research also identified areas in which companies could improve their communications with investment professionals and others, including cybersecurity experts, to discuss their approach to innovation and the need for a strong corporate purpose and values.
“Investors put cybersecurity, data privacy breaches, and IT outages and disruptions at the top of their list of concerns about digital issues which could negatively impact stakeholder trust,” the PwC report notes.
The report is based on surveys of 554 investment professionals conducted in November and December 2016, which was augmented by in-depth interviews with 38 individuals between November 2016 and January 2017.