They will Leverage AI and Other Advanced
Technologies for Strategic Growth as well as Continue Investing in
Global ESG Compliance
Inflation and Cybersecurity will Remain Top
Concerns, with Companies Cautiously Balancing Risks
CHICAGO, Sept. 5,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DFIN (NYSE: DFIN), a
leading global risk and compliance solutions company, today
announced that a new survey of finance decision-makers reveals that
94 percent rate their company's business performance as strong, and
more than 76 percent plan for increased M&A activity in 2025.
Companies are making strategic investments in advanced technology
and AI to drive efficiencies, mitigate cybersecurity risks, enhance
insights into internal controls, and ensure compliance with
evolving regulations, especially ESG mandates.
"Our survey findings highlight a significant shift toward
modernization and increased performance in the finance office,"
said Craig Clay, President of Global
Capital Markets, DFIN. "We are encouraged by CFOs' optimistic
business outlook for 2025 and the pivotal role that innovative
technology, such as DFIN's ActiveDisclosure, will play in helping
public and private companies scale with confidence."
2025 Survey Top Trends
An Optimistic Company Outlook is Prevalent. Finance
decision-makers overwhelmingly rate their company's performance as
strong and have a positive outlook for 2025.
- 84 percent of finance decision-makers report a positive outlook
regarding the current macroeconomic trends and their impact on
business.
- Neary three-fourths of CFOs, a subset of the total respondents
surveyed, plan to increase M&A activity in 2025.
- Over 52 percent of finance decision-makers say they have
invested in new technology to help scale their business.
AI Investment Is Essential for Finance
Decision-Makers. Finance decision-makers increasingly
prioritize AI investments to boost company efficiency and
modernization, with over half planning to use AI for data analysis
and improving internal controls.
- AI is a top priority for driving efficiency with a majority of
respondents planning to invest in AI in the next six months.
- Over half of survey respondents plan to use AI to automate
processes and improve data analysis.
- Similarly, nearly half of survey respondents will use AI to
enhance internal controls.
Funding ESG Compliance Efforts Strengthens Stakeholder
Trust. Over half of all CFOs plan to continue funding ESG
compliance efforts despite the SEC's stay on climate
disclosure.
- Three-fourths of survey respondents have already taken steps to
comply with the SEC's proposed climate-related disclosures.
- Finance decision-makers are proactively complying with
California's climate disclosure
bills, with 60 percent establishing an internal ESG committee and
60 percent developing an ESG reporting framework.
- Following AI, ESG is the second most prioritized compliance
technology, with nearly 60 percent of respondents planning to
invest in 2025.
Market-related concerns persist. Inflation, unpredictable
economic conditions, and the looming threat of a recession (real or
perceived), are top of mind for finance decision-makers.
Cybersecurity threats, such as phishing, also remain significant
concerns.
- 49 percent of CFOs are worried about inflation impacting
business performance.
- 47 percent of CFOs are concerned about cybersecurity
threats.
- 39 percent of CFOs are wary of threats from AI but
overwhelmingly choose to invest in it while proceeding with
caution.
- Private company CFOs are more concerned than their public
company counterparts regarding AI and cybersecurity.
- To download the Survey Whitepaper, CFO Outlook 2025:
Strategic Growth, Tech & ESG in Focus, visit
https://info.dfinsolutions.com/cfo-survey-whitepaper/.
The survey findings will be discussed during a CFO Panel at DFIN
Activate, the company's annual executive summit held September 11 at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar Resort
in San Diego, CA. To register for
DFIN Activate, visit
info.dfinsolutions.com/activate-san-diego-2024.
About the Survey
The DFIN CFO Survey was commissioned to gain a deeper
understanding of the macrotrends impacting finance
decision-makers. Conducted online from July 2-11, 2024, by business intelligence leader
Morning Consult, the survey targeted finance and accounting
decision-makers with titles such as CFO, Controller, SVP, or VP.
Respondents were required to have decision-making authority in one
or more of the following areas: financial reporting, corporate
audits, developing proxy materials, SEC filing, virtual data rooms,
ESG reporting, ESG policy and procedure, or deal due diligence.
About DFIN
DFIN is a leading global provider of
innovative software and technology-enabled financial regulatory and
compliance solutions. We provide domain expertise, enterprise
software, and data analytics for every stage of our clients'
business and investment lifecycles. Markets fluctuate, regulations
evolve, technology advances, and through it all, DFIN delivers
confidence with the right solutions in moments that matter. Learn
about DFIN's end-to-end risk and compliance solutions online at
DFINsolutions.com, or you can also follow us on X (formerly
Twitter) @DFINSolutions or LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Donnelley Financial LLC