FT/Economist Business Barometer survey finds

The Financial Times and The Economist today publish the results of the sixth FT/Economist Global Business Barometer, revealing twice as many respondents think the global economy will improve with Barack Obama in office for a second term than if Mitt Romney wins the US presidential election.

However, among North American respondents, Mr Romney was tipped to be a better choice for business if elected while Mr Obama got a stronger vote for handling the global economy. The survey was undertaken in the last two weeks of July, before Paul Ryan was picked as the Republican running mate.

The survey also revealed growing pessimism among business executives about their own companies and industries. Since the start of the survey 18 months ago business leaders have consistently expressed a gloomy outlook for the global economy.

The FT/Economist Global Business Barometer is a quarterly survey undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit with the aim of gauging global business sentiment. The survey was conducted among 1,700 senior executives and results can be broken down by region and sector.

For the full Global Business Barometer results and interactive graphic, go to www.ft.com/barometer.