Six months ago, CEOs of the world’s largest companies were preparing for turbulence. In an April survey by Fortune and Deloitte, 58% of global chief executives described their 12‑month economic outlook as pessimistic—half were simply cautious, while 8% were very pessimistic. Their gloom stemmed from fears over sweeping tariffs and tightening global financial conditions. Today, however, that sentiment has shifted dramatically.
In the latest October survey, only 32% of CEOs now describe themselves as pessimistic about the global economy over the next year. Most say their concerns have eased, noting that tariffs have not disrupted global trade as feared.
