The Vistage CEO Confidence Index climbed 9.9 points, or 12.7%, from the previous quarter to 88.1 in the third-quarter survey, which closed in September 2026 (Figure 1). This is the second consecutive quarterly increase since confidence fell to 72.1 in 1Q2026, and the index is now at its highest since 4Q2025 (101.1).

The recovery comes against a firmer macroeconomic backdrop. Malaysia’s real GDP grew 6.0% year-on-year in 2Q2026, faster than the 5.4% recorded in 1Q2026, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia. Even so, the index remains 5.1% below its level a year earlier (92.9 in 3Q2025) and below its 100 baseline, indicating that CEOs are less pessimistic but still cautious.