Nearly six in 10 chief finance officers at U.S. businesses are positive about the three-year outlook for the economy, although concerns about geopolitical tension have risen, according to a new survey by U.S. Bank. The survey found that 58% of respondents were optimistic about the nation’s economic outlook over the next three years, although that dropped to 37% when the time frame was shorted to the next 12 months. Sixty-one percent were also optimistic about their company’s outlook over the next three years, compared to 45% over the next year.
Concerns about geopolitical tension have risen, with 26% of respondents flagging it as a top-three risk, compared with 17% in 2023, according to the survey. In contrast, worries about inflation have subsided, with only 25% identifying this as a top-three risk, compared with 38% in 2023. A high proportion (39%) of finance leaders are not confident in their ability to manage new threats, and some are exploring how artificial intelligence and financial hedging strategies can help them.