NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ —
What: “Deloitte CFO Signals™ Q326” (North America)
Who: Ed Hardy, U.S. Finance Services leader, Deloitte
When: Sept. 28, 2026
Where: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/leadership/cfo-survey-data-dashboard.html
Details: Deloitte’s latest CFO Signals™ report, a quarterly survey of North America’s leading chief financial officers, finds that CFO confidence rebounded this quarter even as executives remain measured in their assessment of the broader economy. Against a challenging macroeconomic backdrop, the Q3 report reveals CFOs remain optimistic about their own companies, even as their appetite for risk cools and technology-related concerns rise.
Highlights include:
- CFO confidence inches back into “high” territory: The CFO Confidence Score rose to 6.1 from 5.9 in Q2, returning to the “high” confidence range.
- Company optimism remains resilient: 90% of surveyed CFOs say they are optimistic about their companies’ financial prospects; 37.5% rate the current North American economy favorably.
- Technology risks stand out among business challenges: Technology deployment, including GenAI, was CFOs’ most-cited internal concern (50%), while cybersecurity topped the list of external concerns (50%).
- Slight cooling on CFOs’ appetite for risk: 53% of CFOs say now is a good time to take greater risks, compared to 59% last quarter.
- Financing remains relatively attractive: 55% of CFOs say equity financing is attractive, while 50% say the same about debt financing, suggesting CFOs continue to see multiple paths to capital amid a shifting risk appetite.
- Growth expectations are mixed: CFOs expect revenue to grow 4.6% and capital expenditures to increase 4.3% over the next year, both modestly higher than last quarter, while expectations for earnings, dividends, domestic wages and salaries, and domestic hiring declined.
Scale: Introduced in Q2 2025, the CFO Confidence Score measures CFO confidence in economic conditions and capital markets. The range of the score is 1 to10, with 8 to 10 indicating very high confidence.
Why it matters: The quarterly report measures CFO sentiment and forward-looking strategies. Deloitte’s CFO Signals reports offer insight into how the stewards of corporate strategy are thinking, investing and planning for what’s next.
About the report
“Deloitte’s CFO Signals Q326” report polled 200 North American finance chiefs working at companies with at least US$1 billion in revenues, conducted between Aug. 24 and Sept. 8, 2026.
About Deloitte
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 9,000 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters for our people, clients, and communities. We bring together distinct talents, technologies, disciplines, and an ecosystem of alliances to help tackle today’s most complex business challenges and drive long-term progress. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 180 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 470,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.
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SOURCE Deloitte LLP
