CFO confidence snapped back at the end of 2025 at some of North America’s largest companies, according to the new Deloitte fourth-quarter CFO Signals survey.
The confidence score jumped to 6.6 out of 10 after six months of decline, according to the 200 surveyed CFOs at companies with at least $1 billion in annual revenue. While this group is a minority of finance leaders overall, they are a cohort that often sets the tone for finance strategy that may trickle down to the mid-level finance teams over time.
Technology moves to the center of the enterprise CFO agenda
The survey also found that technology now dominates the finance agenda at large companies. Half (50%) of the surveyed CFOs said leveraging digital tools to transform how finance operates is their top priority for the coming year, making it the most common response in the survey. Efficiency and productivity concerns surfaced repeatedly, with CFOs citing automation as a primary lever for improving finance performance.
Cash management optimization ranked just behind digital transformation, reflecting growing reliance on advanced analytics and technology-enabled forecasting. Talent priorities closely track those operational goals, with nearly half (49%) of CFOs saying automating processes to free employees to do higher-value work is their top finance talent priority for 2026. This underscores the push to shift finance teams away from manual tasks.
Without surprise, AI plays a central role in these transformation efforts. Eighty-seven percent of CFOs said AI will be extremely or very important to their finance department’s operations in 2026. That view was consistent across industries, including 88% of those surveyed in financial services; 84% in energy, resources and industrials; and 80% in technology, media and telecommunications. CFOs, according to the data, expect AI adoption to continue accelerating as finance-specific applications gain traction.
Beyond broad AI adoption, data also indicates finance leaders are focused on embedding AI agents directly into finance workflows. Slightly more than half (54%) of CFOs said integrating AI agents into finance will be one of their top finance transformation priorities in 2026, ranking ahead of improving data quality, access and usability (just over half, 52%). Nearly half of finance leaders who play a leading role in business strategy said they have already deployed specific AI agents within finance.
Growth, costs and customer behavior shape 2026 planning
While technology dominates the agenda, CFOs are also navigating shifting market dynamics and internal cost pressures. When asked to identify non-economic factors expected to have the biggest impact on company performance in 2026, nearly half (48%) of CFOs cited changes in customer behavior or demographics, making it the second-most cited factor. Fifty-one percent of CFOs pointed to competitive pressure, making it the most frequently cited response.
Cost management remains a persistent concern. Nearly half (49%) of CFOs identified cost management as their biggest internal issue in the fourth-quarter survey. To manage workforce expenses, many organizations are looking inward. Nearly half (49%) of CFOs said their companies plan to hire or promote internally in 2026 as a way to keep labor costs in check while preserving institutional knowledge.
Following along with lots of other predictions, interest in M&A is also rising. Almost two-thirds (63%) of CFOs said their organizations’ interest in pursuing both acquisitions or mergers is significantly or somewhat greater than it was a year ago, up from just over half (55%) in the prior year’s survey. Lower borrowing costs and higher stock prices are contributing to a more attractive deal environment, supporting a more active growth plan for companies with liquidity and an appetite for inorganic growth.
