The business world has faced unprecedented economic conditions since the beginning of the financial crisis. Following nearly five years of volatility, at home and abroad, corporate confidence has understandably declined.

The Ernst & Young Capital confidence barometer revealed that company executives were far more pessimistic about the current state of the global economy than they were a year ago. But interestingly, given the Bank of England's recent growth forecast, over 78% of UK respondents still expect a recovery within two years.