Outlook: Page 2

CFO's annual beginning-of-year outlook package.


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    CFOs adjust to private equity’s growing influence

    As private equity firms buy up businesses across many industries, finance chiefs are navigating a more complicated leadership structure.

    By Sept. 19, 2025
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    Labor tops challenges for municipal finance leaders

    As cities face ballooning deficits, budget and pension concerns are also top of mind, according to a recent survey by HilltopSecurities.

    By Sept. 17, 2025
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    Early-career finance and accounting workers overestimate aptitude

    A new survey by the Illinois CPA Society identifies “notable disconnects” in perceptions of less experienced employees’ skill levels.

    By Sept. 10, 2025
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    August earnings update: Affirm, Build-A-Bear, Intuit, MSG Entertainment, Rumble

    Affirm outlines interest-rate impacts, Build-A-Bear warns about tariffs, and J.M. Smucker details its coffee pricing strategy, while Intuit and Rumble lean on AI and new revenue streams.

    By Sept. 4, 2025
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    1 in 10 corporate finance and accounting execs report ‘significant’ talent shortages

    A new survey by the nonprofit Controllers Council aims to quantify talent concerns in corporate F&A.

    By Aug. 20, 2025
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    5 finance trends CFOs are watching in the rest of 2025

    Finance chiefs are bracing for more C-Suite collabs, more tariff talk and more tech questions.

    By Aug. 15, 2025
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    US employers coming around to pay transparency

    In a WTW survey of American businesses, just over a third of respondents said they’re already communicating individual pay ranges with employees.

    By Aug. 13, 2025
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    Federal regulatory activity dropped steeply in H1 2025

    Analysis by information services firm Wolters Kluwer shows a sharp decline in both the number and severity of penalties for financial services businesses in the first half of the year.

    By Aug. 7, 2025
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    CFOs report increased influence on company-wide decisions

    A recent survey by professional services firm RGP quantifies the ways the role of the finance chief is expanding.

    By July 30, 2025
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    US wage growth continues to slow

    Research from hiring platform Indeed showed wage growth increasing by just 2.9% in June, down significantly from recent COVID-driven peaks.

    By July 29, 2025
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    Employers project flat salary budgets in 2026

    In a Willis Towers Watson survey of U.S. companies, participants said they’re planning to increase salary budgets by 3.5% in 2026, the same as actual increases this year.

    By July 18, 2025
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    US firms’ cash conversion cycle improved in 2024: Hackett

    Across the largest 1,000 publicly traded nonfinancial companies in the U.S., the time it took to convert investments to cash averaged 37 days last year, down from 38.3 days in 2023, according to the Hackett Group’s annual working capital survey.

    By July 17, 2025
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    Manual tasks still clogging finance teams’ capacity

    Just about eight in 10 of respondents in a recent survey by enterprise tech firm Zuora said their finance teams are “swamped” with manual tasks.

    By July 15, 2025
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    CFO confidence experienced a sharp drop in Q2

    Deloitte reports the second-largest quarterly drop in finance chiefs’ optimism within the last four years.

    By July 9, 2025
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    M&A is up year to date. Will that last?

    Bain research touts modest growth in transactions so far this year and suggests a brighter future for dealmakers, but many questions remain.

    By July 2, 2025
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    CFOs, investors diverge on near-term economic prospects

    A new survey by New York consulting firm Teneo shows marked differences in opinion about economic conditions over the rest of the year.

    By June 26, 2025
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    A third of business leaders are pausing M&A deals over tariff uncertainty

    Research by PwC suggests a slowdown in mergers and acquisitions for the remainder of 2025.

    By June 18, 2025
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    Irish Fiscal Advisory Council report raises concerns about US trade tensions

    Though the island nation is set to rake in billions of euros’ worth of revenue from corporate taxes paid by foreign multinationals, trade tensions spell uncertainty.

    By June 13, 2025
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    US investors’ near-term optimism dips on tariffs

    But they remain bullish for economic prospects beyond 18 months, according to new research by KPMG.

    By June 12, 2025
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    One in five finance leaders say the US is already in a recession

    A second-quarter economic outlook survey by the AICPA shows lingering concerns about the effects of tariffs.

    By June 6, 2025
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    7 recent podcast episodes CFOs should listen to

    These standout episodes feature finance leaders sharing strategies, stories, and lessons on budgeting, leadership, IPOs and private equity.

    By May 9, 2025
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    Washington D.C.’s CFO warns of “disproportionate” impact of federal cuts as new $1B deficit looms

    The U.S. capital’s finance leader says the impact of federal layoffs is making the district’s financial outlook grim, as he predicts a “mild recession” in fiscal year 2026.

    By March 3, 2025
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    insta_photos / Adobestock.com

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    Sponsored by Papaya Global

    The next wave of payments: Speed, simplicity and going Big (with a capital B)

    How fintech innovations are reshaping payments—and where Papaya Global fits into the big game.

    Feb. 10, 2025
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    What finance leaders need to know for 2025

    CFOs should become familiar with these trends and topics to minimize surprises and maximize leadership impact this year. 

    By CFO.com Editorial Staff • Jan. 28, 2025
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    4 trends shaping the CFO’s technology agenda in 2025

    As technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, here are the trends that should matter most to finance chiefs this year.

    By Jan. 23, 2025