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CFOs Optimistic on Own Firms, Wary of Markets
29 Sep
Summary
- CFO confidence score rose, signaling optimism about their own companies.
- CFOs increasingly view U.S. equity markets as overvalued.
- AI and cybersecurity are top internal and external concerns for CFOs.
North American Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are expressing greater optimism about their individual companies' financial outlooks, as indicated by Deloitte's Q3 2026 CFO Signals survey. The CFO Confidence Score improved to 6.1, a positive shift into "high" territory.
Despite this internal confidence, CFOs' perceptions of the wider market have become more cautious. A sharp increase to 83% of respondents now views U.S. equity markets as overvalued, a notable jump from 49% in the previous quarter.
Technology, including generative AI, is emerging as a significant focus, cited as a leading internal concern. This is closely followed by cybersecurity, which tops the list of external risks, with 50% of CFOs highlighting it.
Looking ahead, CFOs anticipate further integration of AI beyond experimental phases into grounded applications. This will likely involve navigating complex governance, evolving pricing models, and robust benefit measurement, positioning the CFO role as a key enterprise convener.
