Global business outlook shows sustained positive trend

Business decisioning data and analytics company Dun & Bradstreet’s lates Q2 2024 Global Business Optimism Insights report highlights a sustained positive trend in the global business outlook, with the D&B Global Business Optimism Index rising 5.4 percent quarter over quarter.

While there has been continued improvement in business optimism, the forward-looking report reveals a persistently declining optimism in the Global Supply Chain Continuity Index, which slipped eight percent for the second quarter, following a six percent decline in the first quarter. The primary reason for this decline is the forced rerouting of shipments due to geopolitical events across major trade routes. The data shows that one in seven businesses find their operations were impacted by supply chain disruption. However, businesses are adapting by implementing contingency plans and diversifying their supplier base across different regions.

"The continued improvement in overall business optimism indicates that businesses are regaining stability after grappling with inflationary pressures and global monetary tightening," says Neeraj Sahai, president of Dun & Bradstreet International. "Today's supply chains face unprecedented risks from volatile trade relations, civil unrests, extreme weather, and disasters. Increasingly businesses are mitigating these risks by leveraging data to identify opportunities for reshoring, nearshoring, and friend shoring."