Companies are optimistic about growth improving worldwide. They are confident of rising trade between their own countries and the rest of the world.

Developed Asia is the cheeriest about the state of the global economy. Those in emerging economies are more optimistic about their countries’ trade prospects than their developed economy peers.

Expectations for companies’ growth and demand have also soared. Those in India are the most optimistic about the growth rates of their home economies increasing in the next six months.

Concern about equity bubbles is the most acute in India and in North America. Among other possible risks, overinflated asset prices are an increasingly worrisome threat to global growth.

This global survey on economic conditions was conducted by McKinsey.

Fifty-one per cent of respondents expect global conditions to improve in the next six months, compared with 42 per cent in the previous survey and 28 per cent who said so a year ago. When asked for the first time about the global economy’s growth rate, an even larger share— 72 per cent — expect it will increase over the next six months. By contrast, only 14 per cent predict the global growth rate will contract.

Among the risks to domestic growth companies cited domestic political conflicts and transitions of political leadership.