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Deloitte CFO Survey: 2024 Q3

Geopolitical risks to the fore

The quarterly Deloitte CFO Survey has been gauging sentiment and balance-sheet strategies among the UK’s largest businesses since 2007.

Key findings
 

  • Sentiment among UK CFOs has edged lower this quarter, but is running at above average levels
  • CFOs continue to see geopolitical developments as posing the greatest risk to their business, while concern about the risk of a US ‘hard landing’ has increased
  • CFOs expect to raise spending on digital technology and assets such as software, IT and AI, both over the next 12 months and over a five-year time frame
  • Finance leaders remain optimistic about AI’s ability to drive improvements in business performance
     

"Despite concerns about geopolitics and the possibility of a US hard landing, business optimism is continuing to run at above-average levels. Unlike the period following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – when CFOs’ worries about energy supply and prices spiked in tandem with geopolitical concerns – finance leaders today are relatively sanguine about the risks around energy, in part, perhaps because of the decline in the oil price between July and late September."

Ian Stewart, Chief Economist at Deloitte

Explore the data
 

Download the PDF to access all the historical data series from the Deloitte CFO Survey. Data from the CFO Survey is also hosted on Thomson Reuters Datastream, Bloomberg, Factset and Macrobond. Please feel free to use any of the data series in your documents or presentations.

Email Tom Simmons to receive a copy of our spreadsheet containing our CFO Survey data.

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2024 Q2
Confidence up, uncertainty down

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2024 Q1
Turning the corner

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2023 Q4
A positive start to 2024

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2023 Q3
Debt is out of favour

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2023 Q2
Interest rate worries

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2023 Q1
Business confidence bounces

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2022 Q4
Credit conditions tighten

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2022 Q3
The credit squeeze is here

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2022 Q2
Braced for recession

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2022 Q1
Growth in a riskier world

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2021 Q4
Going for Growth

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2021 Q3
Investment is the focus

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2021 Q2
Growth is the priority

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2021 Q1
CFO optimism reaches record levels

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2020 Q4
2021: Lasting change and growth

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2020 Q3
The long COVID recovery

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2020 Q2
No quick bounce back

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2020 Q1
Crash, slow recovery, lasting change

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2019 Q4
Business confidence soars

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2019 Q3
Persistent uncertainty takes its toll

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2019 Q2
Corporate caution, financial market optimism

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2019 Q1
The dash for cash

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2018 Q4
Cost is king

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2018 Q3
Deal or no deal – that is the question

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2018 Q2
Defensive and watchful

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2018 Q1
Brexit transition boosts business confidence

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2017 Q4
Focus on cost control, no retreat on growth

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2017 Q3
Optimism bounces

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2017 Q2
Post election dip in business confidence

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2017 Q1
Brexit shock eases

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2016 Q4
Greater optimism yet to ignite risk appetite

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2016 Q3
Brexit looms large

The Deloitte CFO Survey: 2016 Q2
Brexit blow to business confidence

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