New York, March 15, 2017 — U.S. finance executives lead in global rankings on economic optimism, according to a new survey from American Express (NYSE:AXP) and Institutional Investor Thought Leadership Studio. Across the globe, expectations for “substantialâ€� economic expansion have hit a 10-year high (38%), indicating a surge in optimism. U.S. expectations for substantial economic expansion lead the world by a wide margin (69%, up from 23% last year). Seventy percent of executives worldwide anticipate either “modestâ€� or “substantialâ€� growth this year, up from 64% last year.