According to a new study, CFOs in the United States reside in the middle of an index intended to measure their confidence under pressure.
Based on a survey of 1,400 finance chiefs and senior financial decision-makers across eight highly developed countries by Kyriba, a provider of treasury, finance and liquidity management solutions, those in the U.S. were characterized as “measured.” That means their levels of optimism and readiness to deal with risks are roughly in equilibrium with the risks they face.
Countries ranked higher included, in order, Singapore, Germany and the U.K. However, all of them fell into the same measured category as the United States, with index scores between 90 and 119.
The average U.S. score was 100.93, and the global average was 93.3.
Those ranked lower than the U.S. were Spain, Italy, France and Japan, all of which were in the cautious category (scores between 60 and 89), meaning they have heightened risk awareness but are only watchful in their response.
While none of the studied countries scored above 107.6, Kyriba described two higher levels of risk preparedness: assured (optimism and readiness slightly ahead of risk, with scores of 120-149), and aspirational (optimism and readiness significantly outweighing risk, with scores of 150+).
There was also a category lower than cautious: Vulnerable (scores lower than 60), where confidence is eroded by high risk or lack of readiness, and the company is exposed to volatility.
The theoretical principle behind the research was that “confidence = optimism + preparedness – risk.”
Optimism was measured by questions about survey respondents’ feelings regarding the outlook for their business and the economy in 2026 compared to 2025. Preparedness was measured by responses to questions about how prepared respondents felt to navigate sudden macroeconomic changes.
And risk was measured by the extent to which they were concerned about potential impacts on their business-health outlook — e.g., market volatility, tariffs, new laws and regulations, currency volatility, political conflict, security and inflation.
“In particular, the OPR Index [optimism, preparedness and risk] elevates preparedness as a key level because it is the dimension CFOs can most directly influence,” Kyriba wrote in its research report. “It reflects the operational capacity to absorb shocks through strong fundamentals such as visibility, connected systems, repeatable scenario planning and faster decision cycles.”
Regarding the United States, Kyriba said the country shows strong, deep “AI integration,” which is a measure of how many processes the technology has been used for. The U.S. also sits in the higher-connectivity band and reports relatively strong real-time cash visibility.
“This combination supports faster reporting and forecasting cycles, strengthening preparedness so CFOs can act decisively without compromising control,” Kyriba wrote.
