Grant Thornton found 67% of CFOs expect to raise IT and digital-transformation spending, even as only 37% said they are optimistic about the U.S. economy over the next six months.
Technology is driving that push: 60% of finance leaders ranked tech and AI-led transformation among top value-creation priorities, 48% cited technology upgrades as a top priority, and 97% said their companies are piloting, scaling or fully integrating AI.
Confidence in execution was more mixed, with 42% saying they can meet cost-control goals and 43% confident on supply-chain needs, while 67% expect inflation to rise over the next 12 months.
The survey of nearly 240 finance leaders also showed 68% expect profits to increase over the next year, as tariffs, oil-supply concerns and conflict with Iran keep uncertainty elevated and push some firms toward nearshoring in Latin America.