Senior executives across the banking and finance sector are reporting a renewed sense of “optimism” or generally positive sentiment in the economic environment for the upcoming year, even though there is a growing belief that increased market uncertainty will be a long-term factor or theme, according to the latest research from Swiss and Spanish stock exchanges operator SIX.
More than two-thirds of C-suite executives at various financial institutions across the globe expect the economic environment “to improve for their organization over the next 12 months – up considerably from 53% last year.”
That is according to the Future of Finance Study shared recently by SIX – which is an annual survey that canvasses the “opinions of senior executives across 291 financial institutions spanning Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.”
The findings have been unveiled after benchmark equity indices surged to record highs in 2025 in regions such as the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland.
And those in Hong Kong and Spain also surged to their near all-time highs.
Singapore residents and Switzerland based respondents are said to be the most confident of their organizations’ position for steady growth, with 75% and 63% considering it to be quite “strong,” respectively.
And C-suite executives at US FIs now report the “lowest levels” of confidence in their own organizations’ positions for growth, with merely 43% considering their position to be strong – which the notably only market to score less than 50% on this particular measure.
Nearly all or 99% of executives agree that increased levels of market uncertainty will be a long-term feature of the world economy. But in terms of how to view this uncertainty, respondents are said to be far more divided or not certain. And overall, 58% view this as more of a potential opportunity, meanwhile 41% consider it to be a sort of challenge.
In terms of the most significant challenges facing respondents, barriers to global trade and capital flows are the quite frequently reported, with 36% identifying these as their most pressing concern.
The other challenges that are typically flagged include hesitation or reluctance among investors to take on additional risks as well as geopolitical uncertainties. The latter has reportedly become one of executives’ primary concerns in three of the last four Future of Finance research studies.
Bjørn Sibbern, CEO SIX said:
“The ability to adapt to change defines successful organizations. While geopolitical conditions have evolved since our last study, respondents’ determination to succeed remains strong. Managing market volatility requires reliable infrastructure and efficient flows of high-quality data. Working with trusted and innovative partners enables organizations to leverage uncertainty as a driver of growth, not merely a risk to manage.”