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As inflation and macroeconomic concerns ebb, half of all the respondents to PwC’s latest Investor Survey are cautiously optimistic about the prospects of growth. Does sentiment among Swiss investors reflect global views on the economy and businesses’ responses to threats and opportunities?
In our fourth annual investor survey, we at PwC set out to better understand institutional investors’ expectations of the companies they invest in and monitor. To do this, we polled 345 investors and analysts (predominantly portfolio managers, analysts and chief investment officers) across 24 countries and territories, and conducted in-depth interviews with 14 investment professionals. The findings yielded valuable insights into the investors’ views on global risks, the opportunities and challenges posed by technology and generative AI (GenAI), the types of quantitative and qualitative information they seek from companies, and the level of trust they place in corporate management.
Views on the economy, threats and opportunities
Investors remain optimistic about global economic prospects over the next year, with just over half of respondents worldwide anticipating economic growth and fewer than one-third foreseeing a decline. Concern over macroeconomic volatility and inflation has notably eased; only one-third now see these as major threats, down from two-thirds two years ago. Instead, investors view a broad range of risks as equally significant, underscoring the need for companies to stay agile and resilient amid a complex, interconnected risk landscape.
Perceptions of exposure to climate change risks have remained consistent. In response to two new questions introduced this year, approximately 30% of investors globally believe that companies are highly or extremely vulnerable to technological disruption and are experiencing a decline in the availability of workers with essential skills.
A visit to the 2024 survey website yields greater detail on the global findings and investors’ convictions in areas including business reinvention, technology and artificial intelligence, climate transition and adaptation, and the importance of building trust through communication – including actions companies should be taking to address the issues that matter most to investors.
“Overall, Swiss institutional investors share the global community’s cautious optimism about economic growth, although recent challenges have prompted a tilt towards traditional safe-haven assets.”
Dimitri Senik, Director, Leader Investor Trust Services, PwC SwitzerlandHow does sentiment in Switzerland compare?
But how does the Swiss perspective compare? PwC Switzerland’s observations of the situation in this country suggest that sentiment among Swiss institutional investors is largely consistent with the mood of the global sample in the survey. Actors in Switzerland share similar concerns about geopolitical risks, macroeconomic volatility, inflation fears and climate change. They also see opportunities in technological disruptions, such as advances in AI.
Swiss response to threats
However, there are differences in relation to things like the developments seen in the first months of 2025, such as the recent US trade tariffs, increased stock market volatility, inflation concerns and escalating geopolitical tensions. Here, the outlook among investors who are closely monitoring potential repercussions on the Swiss economy is more cautious than the overall mood worldwide. In response to these multifaceted challenges, there is a noticeable shift among Swiss investors towards traditional safe-haven assets.
Swiss resilience
We also observe that despite this adversity, the Swiss economy is demonstrating plenty of resilience. Projections still indicate moderate growth for 2025, supported by stable inflation and a robust services sector. However, the mood remains cautious, with a recognition that prolonged trade conflicts could lead to more pronounced economic downturns. There are widespread expectations that technological disruption, government regulation and AI in particular will compel companies to change the way they create, deliver and capture value – and to rethink their relationships with their stakeholders, business ecosystems and the climate.
For a breakdown of the worldwide findings, download the Global report and feel free to contact us for a more in-depth discussion.
Summary
Respondents to PwC’s latest worldwide investor survey are generally cautiously optimistic about the prospects of global economic growth. Similar sentiment can be observed in Switzerland. While this country is seeing a certain shift towards traditional safe-haven assets in response to recent adverse developments, investors here also expect tech disruption, regulation and AI in particular to prompt changes in the way companies create, deliver and capture value.
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PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2024
For a breakdown of the worldwide findings, download the Global report
https://pages.pwc.ch/view-form?id=701Vl00000nFeypIAC&embed=true&lang=en
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